Fred Ross was born in 1927 in Saint John. His artistic journey began in 1944 when he studied under Ted Campbell at the Saint John Vocational School. In 1946, he painted a large mural depicting the school’s annual picnic. Seeking further artistic development, Ross traveled to Mexico in 1949 to study with Pablo O’Higgins in Taxco, an experience that profoundly influenced his work. He returned briefly in 1950, where he had the opportunity to meet the renowned muralist Diego Rivera. By 1970, after teaching at the Saint John Vocational School since the 1950s, Ross resigned from his position as Supervisor of Art to fully devote himself to painting.
Ross’s work was exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada, and he became the first New Brunswicker to showcase his art at the Canadian Embassy’s gallery in Washington, D.C. Since 1949, his paintings appeared in over 80 solo and group exhibitions. His national reputation was cemented with the 1993 Beaverbrook Art Gallery retrospective, The Art of Fred Ross – A Timeless Humanism.
Throughout his career, Ross received multiple accolades. He was awarded Canada Council grants and, in 1986, received an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from the University of New Brunswick. In 1990, he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. In 2002, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the “rich social realist tradition of Saint John artists with his vision of Atlantic Canada and its people.” Further recognition came in 2008 when he was inducted into the Order of New Brunswick for his “numerous achievements and immense contribution to New Brunswick’s cultural identity and to the province and Canada’s art world.”
Fred Ross passed away in 2014, leaving behind a lasting legacy. His artwork remains preserved in numerous private, corporate, and significant public collections, including the National Gallery of Canada.
Fred Ross: A Visionary Artist Who Captured Atlantic Canada’s Spirit.
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