Roots of the Sunflower run deep in Newmarket
Artist Ted Fullerton inside his painting studio in Tottenham, Ontario. (c) April 2019.
We are shaped by our experiences--the places we go, the people we encounter, the interactions we have. Some people will undeniably leave a deeper imprint on us than others, someone who sparks changes in our personal or professional lives.
For Ted Fullerton, a Canadian multi-disciplinary artist living in Tottenham, Ontario, Frederick Hagan (1918-2003) was such a special person.
Inside Ted Fullerton's Northern studio cabin at Jacks Lake, 1997. Ted Fullerton (left), Joel Fullerton (right), Fred Hagan (centre). Photo courtesy of Karl Hagan.
Perhaps you have heard of Frederick Hagan or even driven past a street named after him. Did you know that he studied art under Franklin Carmichael, one of the Group of Seven artists?
At age 23, Hagan put down roots in Newmarket with his wife, Isabelle Heald after accepting an arts and crafts teaching position at Pickering College. Within a few short years, he became a faculty member at the Ontario College of Art (OCA now OCADU) where he taught until 1983. With a teaching career that spanned decades, Hagan inspired and mentored many young Canadian artists, including Ted Fullerton.
Fullerton met Hagan while studying at OCA and continued to maintain a close relationship after graduating in 1976. The two men bonded over their passion to express humanity through art, from humble images to highly abstracted forms. They also shared the same belief in community galleries being the hub and heartbeat to a vibrant local art scene. This belief is what led Fullerton to donate 25 original prints to benefit Old Town Hall gallery arts programming and events. Old Tall Hall is a place that has been featured on this blog before for sharing works by the likes of Leah Denbock who profiles the lives of those experiencing homelessness.
When asked about his choice of artwork, Fullerton said, “Sun Rise is meant to describe how the blossom of a sunflower follows the sun throughout the day, looking towards optimism with the shadow of the past always behind it.”
Ted Fullerton, Sun Rise (2018) Stone lithograph print, 3 colours, 30” x 22”.
Each original print is individually hand-printed and one-of-a-kind. The cost of Sun Rise unframed is $475 plus HST. The market value of Fullerton’s lithograph print (unframed) is $1800 each. Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Fullerton, you too can have the great opportunity to own an original work by an established Canadian artist while also helping the gallery program at Old Town Hall.
Proceeds from the sale of the art will go towards continuing to offer arts and culture based programming at Old Town Hall. If you are interested in purchasing or require further information, please contact Logan Bales at lbales@newmarket.ca or visit the Customer Service Kiosk at Newmarket Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street).
Like the sunflower, the kindness which Ted Fullerton has extended is a beautiful bloom that stems from the seed that Frederick Hagan sowed and nurtured through the years as an arts educator, engaged community member, mentor and friend. What a fitting and heartwarming way to acknowledge one’s roots, pay tribute to someone who has inspired, and influenced a successful career.