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William (W.K.) Kurelek

Under the pen of William Kurelek, prairie farm scenes and landscapes came to life. By the time of his death in 1977, Kurelek had produced over 2,000 paintings. Kurelek was the son of Ukrainian immigrant farmers. He grew up during the Great Depression on a grain farm in Alberta, and then a dairy farm in Manitoba. While helping out on the farm, he enjoyed watching the sky, studying thunderstorms rolling in across the prairies or the changing patterns of the clouds. His hard-working father thought that his son was lazy, and was not pleased when he decided to pursue his studies in art. His father's rejection was to haunt him all of his life. Kurelek briefly studied art at school, but preferred to teach himself through books. While traveling in England, he was hospitalized for over a year and enrolled in the hospital's art therapy program. It was there that he drew many self-portraits and scenes of farm life from his youth. He also developed his unique style of outlining the drawing with a ballpoint pen, using coloured pencils for texture and adding details in pen. If you examine his drawings, you will notice that they are full of realism with minute details of things like cots, clothes and even insects. Many of Kurelek's painting were produced to accompany books for children. For these he won several awards, including the New York Times's Best Illustrated Children's Book Award for A Prairie Boy's Winter and Lumberjack, and the Canadian Association of Children's Librarians Illustrators Award for A Prairie Boy's Summer.

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  • Artist Origin

    Canadian

  • Artist Type

    Historical works of significance

  • Born

    1927

  • Died

    1977

Available Artwork

  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Lunch Hour Break on Road Construction

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 27.5 x 35 in
  • 1968
  • Price available on request
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Playing Ball

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 4.5 x 12 in
  • Price available on request
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Still Life with Treasury Notes

  • Mixed Media
  • 6.5 x 10.5 in
  • circa 1955
  • Price available on request

Exceptional Sales

  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Who Has Seen the Wind, page 267

  • Mixed Media
  • 14.5 x 16.75 in
  • 1974
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Rink Making in Manitoba

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 14 x 14 in
  • 1974
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Balsam Avenue After Heavy Snowfall

  • Mixed Media
  • 24 x 24 in
  • 1971
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Children Playing in the Snowbank

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 18.5 x 20 in
  • 1971
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • After the Big Blow

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 7.58 x 10 in
  • 1974
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Farm Dogs' Favourite Pastime in Dirty 30s

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 5 x 14 in
  • 1974
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Pretty Pussy & The Green Horned Immigrant

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 11.5 x 11.35 in
  • 1966
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Children Studying the Prismatic Effects in the Ice Cracks

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 11 x 13 in
  • 1966
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Wartime Harvesting Near Winnipeg

  • Oil on Panel
  • 8 x 20 in
  • 1967
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Prairie Children Building a Snowfort

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 9 x 9 in
  • 1975
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • A Bumper Harvest

  • Mixed Media
  • 48 x 36 in
  • 1974
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • The Stone Church at Pelly Bay

  • Mixed Media
  • 13.25 x 11 in
  • 1975
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Copper Eskimo Cod Fishing

  • Mixed Media
  • 12 x 9.88 in
  • 1975
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Manitoba Mountain

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 48 x 48 in
  • 1971
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Prairie Town

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 36.5 x 49 in
  • 1966
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • The Excitement of First Heavy Snow

  • Oil on Canvas
  • 38 x 23 in
  • 1974
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Newfie Joke (A boy peeping out from behind a snowball)

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 6 x 8.75 in
  • 1974
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • School Yard Games

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 6 x 12 in
  • 1976
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • Fox and Geese

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 13 x 13.25 in
  • 1973
  • Sold
  • William (W.K.) Kurelek

  • The School's Woodpile

  • Mixed Media on Board
  • 23 x 23 in
  • 1972
  • Sold

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Exhibitions

Winter Historical Collection

February 7 - February 28, Toronto

Winter Historical Collection

February 7 - February 28, Toronto

Fall Historical Collection

November 24 - January 6, Toronto

Fall Historical Collection

November 24 - January 6, Toronto

The Collection of Richard Bonnycastle & A Celebration of Canadiana

November 1 - November 29, Calgary

The Collection of Richard Bonnycastle & A Celebration of Canadiana

November 1 - November 29, Calgary

Historical Collection Featuring Maud Lewis

November 1 - November 8, Toronto

Historical Collection Featuring Maud Lewis

November 1 - November 8, Toronto

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Contact

Toronto

416 964 9050

16 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2E2
Tuesday to Saturday from 10am - 5pm, or by appointment

Winnipeg

204 791 2239

306 St. Mary's Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2H 1J8
Open by appointment only until further notice

Calgary

403 209 8542

314 12 Ave S.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2R 0H2
Tuesday to Saturday from 10am - 5:30pm, or by appointment