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Retired teacher puts life’s work on show in Richmond

A lifetime of watercolour paintings of historic Richmond is being exhibited at Gateway Theatre for the first and last time.
Fred John
Retired teacher Fred John (right) with Tim Oberholzer, patron services manager at Gateway Theatre. Alan Campbell photo

A lifetime of watercolour paintings of historic Richmond is being exhibited at Gateway Theatre for the first and last time.

The work is decades of dedication from retired art and math teacher Fred John, 77, who modestly calls himself a teacher first and an artist second.

His 30-strong collection — which includes Finn Slough, Steveston Harbour and local heritage homes — is John’s first exhibit and likely his last.

“I’ve never had anything exhibited before; I never had the time until near retirement,” explained John, who’s also an historian and Gateway Theatre volunteer.

“They are mostly based on slides I made way back in the day; the Finn Slough ones are from the 1960s, others from my lifetime of travels, including the Great Wall of China.”

John’s exhibit, which has no name, runs until the end of June.