William McElcheran
SCULPTOR, ARCHITECT AND PAINTER
William McElcheran, "Canada's least-known well-known artist", as he called himself, is where we begin our discussion.
William McElcheran, architect, sculptor and painter, was born into a large, musical, Baptist family on Saturday, September 17, 1927 in Hamilton, Ontario.
He was awarded a scholarship to study at the Ontario College of Art and in 1948 graduated top of his class, winning the Lieutenant-Governor's Medal for his work at the college.
At age 18, William was commissioned to do St. Joseph's Altar at St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, being awarded the commission over a former teacher.
In his mid-twenties, about 1951, William converted to the Roman Catholic faith. For a time, he attended daily Mass and his family recall him organizing folk Masses.
It would be safe to assume, one would think, that over time William's understanding of his faith deepened and would be reflected in his work as an architect and artist.
William McElcheran was commissioned by the Redemptorists and parishioners of St. Teresa's Parish in the 1960s to create the art works displayed at St. Teresa's.
The Roman Catholic Church has a long tradition of using art and music as a means to draw people ever more deeply into prayer.
The Gothic-influenced art forms that William created like those at St. Teresa's he labeled "the architecture of celebration".
William moved to Italy in 1975 and lived also in the United States, Thailand and Japan.
He returned to Canada and died of brain cancer at his son's Etobicoke home on Saturday, February 13, 1999 at the age of 71, leaving behind a wife, 6 children and 17 grandchildren.
Some of his best-known works are the Nellie ACTRA Award Figurine and the Bronze Businessman that stand in Toronto's Water Park Place, Calgary's Foothills Hospital and in Tokyo and Munich. (Barnes, The Toronto Star Mon., Feb 15, 1999)(Kinsman Robinson Gallerie Biography, 2011)(Ross, The Globe and Mail, Fri., Feb. 26, 1999)