Jack Sures (November 20, 1934 – May 12, 2018) was a Canadian

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

and

post-secondary Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

academic.

Personal background

Sures was born at

Brandon, Manitoba Brandon () is the second-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the southwestern corner of the province on the banks of the Assiniboine River, approximately west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and east of the ...

, in 1934. He graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1957 with a B.F.A. He went on to earn his

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in painting and printmaking from the

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

in 1959.U Regina Bio
/ref> After two years working in the United Kingdom and traveling in Europe and the Middle East he established a studio in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was instrumental in establishing the ceramics department at the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, Regina Campus (now the

University of Regina The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchew ...

). He undertook an appointment in 1973-1974 working in

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

, West Indies for the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Handcraft Development Program. Sures died on May 12, 2018, at the age of 83.

Body of work

After completing his M.A. Sures moved to the United Kingdom where he worked in London. Here he learned mold making, slip casting and production wheel-throwing. His works are wheel-thrown vessel-based pieces and hand-built sculpture. Sures has worked on various commissions, the most notable being: *Mural created for the Provincial Office Building in Saskatoon *Mural for the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. *Ceramic pieces for Secretary of State Canada; *Terrazzo floor for the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, Regina

Arts administration

Sures has taken a strong interest in arts organizations. He has acted as an adviser or consultant for a number of organizations including the

Canada Council The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...

regarding ceramic art; the

Banff Centre Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...

for their facilities and program development; the Regina

Wascana Centre Wascana Centre is a 930-hectare (9.3 km2/2,300 acre/3.6 mi2) urban park built around Wascana Lake in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, established in 1912 with a design from renowned architect Thomas Mawson. The park is designed aro ...

Authority on its Fine Arts Committee; and as a member of the Board of the

Canadian Conference of the Arts The Canadian Conference of the Arts (the CCA) was an Ottawa-based, not-for-profit, member-driven organization that represented the interests of over 400,000 artists, cultural workers and supporters from all disciplines of the nation's arts, culture ...

Selected collections

Sures' works are in both private and public collections including; *Saskatchewan Arts Board *Gardiner Museum * External Affairs Canada *Province of Saskatchewan *University of Saskatchewan *Pecs National Museum, Hungary *University of Regina *

Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec ( en, National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec), abbreviated as MNBAQ, is an art museum in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The museum is situated in Battlefield Park and is a complex consisting of four bui ...

Academic positions

Sures was Chairman of the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Regina from 1969-71. On his retirement in 1998 he was granted Professor Emeritus.

Awards

Sures has been recognized for his accomplishments by the grant of honours including; *

Saidye Bronfman Award The Saidye Bronfman Award is a Canadian award for fine craft. It is one of the largest individual visual-arts prizes in Canada. The $25,000 annual prize is administered by the Canada Council for the Arts as one of the Governor General’s Awards i ...

, 2018
Saskatchewan Arts Award
for Lifetime Achievement, 2017 *Canada Council Study Grant 1965 and 1972 to study in Japan and France respectively. *Awarded Grand Prize, International Ceramic Exhibition, Mino, Japan, 1989 *

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

, inducted as Member, 1991 *Province of Saskatchewan, Recognized for contributions to Canada and the Province, 1992. *

Saskatchewan Order of Merit The Saskatchewan Order of Merit (french: Ordre du Mérite de la Saskatchewan) is a civilian Award, honour for merit in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Instituted in 1985 by Lieutenant Governor of Saska ...

, 2003 *Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, University of Regina, 1991 *Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Research, University of Regina, 1992 *International Academy of Ceramics, Elected as member *Commemorative Medal of the 125th Anniversary of The Confederation of Canada, Recognition for Significant Contribution to Compatriots and to Canada *Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2012

External images

Footed BowlRetrospective of WorksClay and Glass Retrospective

References

External links

Ceramics Today Article

U of Manitoba Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sures, Jack 1934 births 2018 deaths Artists from Manitoba Canadian ceramists Companions of the Order of Canada Michigan State University alumni People from Brandon, Manitoba University of Manitoba alumni Academic staff of the University of Regina