A Brief History of Visual ArtsH.G. Glyde and art students (1947)Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity has been training artists since 1933 in the Canadian Rockies. It has offered Visual Arts programs since 1935, when painter A.C. Leighton held outdoor painting classthat summer. Within five years, Visual Arts programs were established and led by painters H.G. Glyde and Walter J. Phillips, both teaching for decades at the nascent Banff School of Fine Arts; their painting classes evolved from dozens of students to hundreds over their tenure, creating a strong foundation for the legacy of visual arts training at Banff Centre.In the 1970s Canadian visual artist Takao Tanabe became head of Banff Centre's painting division. Visual Arts programs now included courses in ceramics, photography, multi-media, as well as more traditional painting courses. In 1976, under Tanabe’s leadership Banff Centre opened Walter Phillips Gallery and Glyde Hall. The gallery was a dedicated space to exhibit and showcase contemporary artists, while Glyde Hall provided a permanent headquarters for artist studios on campus. Over the decades Banff Centre has continued to introduce innovative and vital visual arts and multi-media programs and residencies that support emerging and leading visual artists from across Canada and around the world. Visual, Digital and Media Arts programs offer 24/7 access for established and emerging artists, as well as providing technical, material, and conceptual support in a way that no other cultural institution in Canada can. From ceramic firing kilns to 3D printers, from
