Alumni

The Extraordinary Art of Finding a Lost Old Boy (Alumnus) – Peter Saul ’50 (Ripley’s)

It’s such a pleasure connecting with an Old Boy, who for many years has been missing from our rolls. Such was the case when we learned about Peter Saul ’50 (Ripley’s). Much has been written about this American painter and his inimitable popular culture depictions, his use of vivid colours and cartoonish characters to satirize current affairs and political leaders over the many years he has grown to fame, spanning from 1960 to the present.
Peter Saul came to our attention through an inquiry from Professor David McCarthy of Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee. Professor McCarthy was curious to know more about Shawnigan’s curriculum of the late 1940s. Headmaster Lamont’s interest was piqued and he researched this prolific painter. We learned that Saul often attributes his success to the hardships he endured at Shawnigan. A peek at Shawnigan founder C.W. Lonsdale’s correspondence with Peter’s parents in February 1950 offers some prescient perspective:


(SLS Archives)

The most recent example of a Shawnigan Lake School reference from Saul appears in a new catalogue publication, Peter Saul: Crime and Punishment, printed for the occasion of a recent exhibition of the same name mounted at The New Museum in New York City. The exhibit and publication were curated by Massimiliano Gioni and Gary Carrion-Murayari. More can be found here.

New scholarly research conducted for the exhibition by Dan Nadel finds Shawnigan Lake School mentioned in the opening pages in less than favourable terms, as the following abbreviated excerpt reveals:

“At age ten, he was sent to Shawnigan Lake School, a boarding school so severe that it was written up in Time in 1945 as the strictest in North America.”

Headmaster Lamont promptly ordered three copies of Peter Saul: Crime and Punishment and asked me to reach out to try to reconnect with Peter. I am pleased to report the books have arrived and are a delight to peruse. Moreover, I have indeed connected with Peter, to learn more about his fascinating story and perspective on Shawnigan of old. I also reassured him that Shawnigan of today has evolved wonderfully in the 70 years since he graduated. For his part, Peter replied:

“I got your letter several days ago and was astonished to hear from you. I knew you still existed, but you’re the last place on earth I expected to hear from. Well, thank you very much for providing me with an unusually interesting anecdote I used about 5 times between about 1990 -2005. I mean every artist has to have some stories of early struggle and you were one of my best, no kidding. It was a struggle, in fact totally nuts, the whole thing. However, it’s nice to know you’ve improved and the place is pleasant enough today. I promise to stop using you as an anecdote – enough is enough! Well, it was “character building” for sure but my character is not what was intended by the school. Looking back, I get some laughs.”

I do hope we can encourage Peter Saul to return to Shawnigan to see how we have changed and meet our students and staff. One of our art students will certainly be in touch with him in the fall to learn more about his art journey.

We are always on the lookout for lost alumni – if you know of any lost alumni out there, please put them in touch with me. 

Hilary S. Abbott
Legacy Giving
habbott@shawnigan.ca
(250)715-8565 cell/text
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We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.