Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1948–1982, predominant 1964–1981 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
3 cm of textual records
659 photographs
3 photomechanical prints
1 poster
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Pollock Gallery (active 1960–1981), was a commercial art gallery in Toronto established by art dealer, author, art educator and painter Jack Pollock. First located at 205 Elizabeth St in downtown Toronto in 1960, the gallery initially represented Canadian artists, most notably Norval Morrisseau. In 1966, the gallery showed works by the Hungarian-Canadian painter Julius Marosan. Later, works by British and American and other artists were exhibited, including those by David Hockney, Willem de Kooning, Anni Albers and Dieter Roth.
Within a year, the gallery relocated to 201 Elizabeth St (1961–1963), then 599 Markham St (1963–1971, with another site at 604A King St West 1966–1968), 356 Dundas St West (1972–1975, with another site at the Toronto Dominion Centre 1972–1973), and lastly 122 Scollard St in the Yorkville area of Toronto (1975–1982, with another site, 209 Adelaide St East 1980–1983). During its years of activity, the gallery employed Brian A. Marshall Schieder, Philip Ottenbrite (assistant director), Eva Quan, Frank Costin, Laurie Payne (graphic director), Helen Boyd, Renya Onasick (advertising and publicity), Lawrence Hurst (gallery administrator), Stephen Long (librarian) and others. Within months after Jack Pollock became chronically ill, the main gallery officially closed in December, 1981; the Pollock Gallery went into bankruptcy in 1983.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Series comprises files of materials on artists whose works were exhibited by the Pollock Gallery in the 1960s and 1970s, together with artists who were applying to the Pollock Gallery for representation, and others. The files include photographs of paintings, prints and sculpture; artist biographies; chronologies of exhibitions; exhibition announcements; newspaper reviews, miscellaneous photocopied materials, and related items. Further records of artists associated with the Pollock Gallery will be found in series 4, 6 and 7.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
No further accruals are expected
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open. Access to Special Collections is by appointment only. Please contact the reference desk for more information.
Conditions governing reproduction
Various copyright holders. It is the researcher’s responsibility to obtain permission to publish any part of the fonds.
Language of material
- English
- French
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on the contents of the series. (File titles are taken chiefly from the ring binders in which the files were kept.)
Note
Statement of responsibility:
Photo credits are supplied for photographers of items in several files of the series.
Note
Physical description:
Series includes 365 photographic prints and 294 slides (photographs).
Note
General note:
The Art Gallery of Ontario holds works by artists named in this series in its permanent collection: Anni Albers, Josef Albers, Harold Feist, David Hockney, Dieter Roth, Arnold Shives, and Alexander Wyse.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Originally prepared in 2018
Language(s)
- English
- French