Accession 97-42 - Doug Morton

Douglas Morton is one of the senior academic art administrators in Canada. Born in 1926 in Winnipeg, he studied art at the Winnipeg School of Art (1946-47), the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (1947-48), the Academie Jullan, L'Ecole des Beaux Arts and the Studio of Andre L'Hote in Paris, France (1949), and the Camberwell School of Art and the studio of Martin Bloch in London, England (1950-51). His professional artistic career continued in 1951-53 as curator for the Calgary Allied Arts Centre. Although involved in the business world as vice-president and manager of MacKay-Morton Ltd in Regina from 1954 to 1967, Morton took an active interest in art.

In 1961 Morton exhibited with Ken Lochhead, Art McKay, Ron Bloore, and Ted Godwin at the National Gallery of Canada in the show "Five Painters from Regina". He joined the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus in 1967 as Director of Visual Arts and Associate Professor of Art. He left Regina few years later to take up a position at York University in Toronto. From 1969 to 1980, he held a variety of posts, including Associate Dean and Director of the Graduate M.F.A. Programme (1973-76), Acting Chairperson, Department of Visual Arts (1978), and Vice-chairperson of Senate (1979). Morton was also Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Victoria 1980-85, and President, Alberta College of Art, 1985-87.

Throughout his academic administrative career, Morton developed a reputation for effective management and the formulation of innovative and creative fine arts programs.