Terrence Keller

Terrence Keller, a renowned Alberta artist, Formalist, and abstract painter, was known to be a thoughtful, sensitive, and kind man with a probing mind. He loved family, people, and had many different circles of friends.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta on January 29, 1947, after high school Terrence studied painting at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary, graduating in 1973.  After graduation, he moved to Toronto.

By the mid 1970’s, Edmonton’s art community included serious abstract painters such as Robert Scott, Isla Burns and Linda Wedman who had all studied at the Alberta College of Art.  There were others, as well, as Douglas Haynes, Ann Clarke, and Graham Peacock, all who were affiliated with the University of Alberta Department of Art.  Most of them attended the influential Steiner Workshop at The Edmonton Art Gallery in 1973. Keller, too, came for the workshop and met his contemporaries, creating friendships that would last his lifetime.

The successful workshop, led by New York abstract sculptor Michael Steiner, had a positive effect on most of the participants.  Steiner’s rigorously critical attitude toward art values and his creative workshop techniques would result in a surge of artmaking activity in the city.  Edmonton quickly became a focal centre for artists interested in the creation of serious abstract art.

Keller saw the Edmonton artistic environment as stimulating and challenging and he returned to the west in 1976 to set up his studio in  Edmonton.

As a full time painter, Keller continued his education through various workshops over the years. He briefly taught at the University of Alberta as an Instructor of Art (1977-79) and as a Sessional Lecturer (1979-82).  He participated in the Emma Lake Artists Workshop (2000) and Triangle Artists Workshops both in New York State (1982) and Barcelona (1988), preceding the Barcelona Olympics.

He exhibited his work widely, especially in the Canadian West, both in group and in solo exhibitions and is represented in several private and public collections.  These include the collections of The Edmonton Art Gallery (Edmonton), The Glenbow Museum (Calgary) and The Canada Council Art Bank (Ottawa).

His work has developed steadily for some 40 years. He is recognized as one of the finest Canadian painters of his generation.

Terrence was fortunate to have married the love of his life, Pat, an Art teacher who shared and appreciated his keen aesthetic sense. Together they often traveled to various parts of the world, enjoying the different cultures, visiting artist friends, and major art galleries. Terry’s interests included reading, jazz, gardening, Toastmasters, fishing, gourmet cooking and the aesthetic design of everything around him.

Terrence throughout his entire life had to deal with the effects of polio. He met this challenge with courage and perseverance for the greater part of his life.

He had a faith in God and love of life that coloured every aspect of living well.

Terrence passed away in Edmonton on April 21, 2014.