About the Artist Peter Blais
265 Petite Riviere Road, Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia B4V 8W9
Tel/Fax: (902) 693-1544 Toll Free: 1-877-624-4513
E-mail: saltbox@eastlink.ca
Peter Blais
Maritime Painted Saltbox
265 Petite Riviere Road, Petite Riviere
Nova Scotia, B4V 8W9
Telephone/Fax: (902)693-1544
Web: www.paintedsaltbox.com
E-mail: saltbox@eastlink.ca
Peter Blais, born in Ottawa in 1949, first exhibited in Toronto's Yorkville district in the late '70's. His fantastical fibre creations soon evolved into figurative sculptures using raw fibre and polymers. Before long he was exploring fibreglass and resins.
Solo shows in Toronto were held at the Ashcroft Munroe Gallery and the St. Lawrence Centre. Group shows were held at Galerie Scollard, The Harbourfront Gallery, Metro Toronto Library and Shaw Festival Theatre.
In 1977, he created the fibre costume designs for John Wood's production of King Lear at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax. Subsequently, he was invited to be a guest instructor at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design..
Throughout his career, Peter has continued to design for the theatre, most notably for a number of Toronto premieres of the work of playwright George F. Walker. His theatre designs now form part of the permanent collection at the University of Guelph Canadian Theatre Archive.
He has created commissioned work for corporate clients such as King World Productions (New York) and the Hal Roach Studios (Toronto), as well as pieces for the city of Toronto, Ontario Science Centre and science museums in Japan and Kuwait.
In 1984, Peter created the original design for the Arthur Ellis Book Award, sponsored by The Crime Writers of Canada.
A multi-talented artist, Peter has also enjoyed a long career as an actor since his debut in 1969 at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg. Twice nominated for the Dora Award for Best Actor in the Toronto Theatre, he was also nominated in 1999 for a Gemini Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series. That same year, Peter won the Best Actor Award at the Yorkton Film Festival.
In 1997, looking for new challenges, Peter re-located to Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, restored an 1840 cape, and co-founded The Maritime Painted Saltbox Heritage Furniture Reproductions and Fine Art Gallery opening it to the public in the restored cape in 1998. It made for a unique gallery, and featured his fine art, his first folk art creations and a selection of heritage furniture and furnishings designed and built in his own workshop
Outgrowing the Mahone Bay location, he moved to Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia, and re-opened his gallery in a restored barn. He continues to design and build furniture, as well as pursuing his careers as fine artist and folk artist.
Peter was invited to participate in the 17th Nova Scotia Folk Art Festivals held in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in 2005 for the first time, and has returned every year since. This year, 2010, is the 22nd Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival and will be Peter's sixth year as a participant. A juried show, the Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival is acknowledged as the premiere folk art venue in Canada.
Peter is a participant in Studio Rally 2011, as well as in the Guide to Craft & Art in Nova Scotia 2011, and a member of the Lunenburg Art Gallery.
Peter's work in it's many forms can be seen at the Maritime Painted Saltbox Gallery in Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia
Fine Art Paintings by
Peter Blais
The Maritime Painted Saltbox
All Rights Reserved 2011
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