About the Collection
Born and raised in southern Alberta, Dr. Jim Coutts (LLD '12) began collecting art since
he was 17. As the former secretary to two prime ministers, Dr. Coutts travelled extensively
and looked at art around the world, but his collection had a clear western Canadian theme.
In 2011, Dr. Coutts donated more than 200 pieces to the University of Lethbridge Art Collection.
Covering decades of collecting and imagery of the region, Dr. Coutts's donation to the
University of Lethbridge is a major addition to the renowned art collection. This generous
gift builds on the strong holdings of landscape artworks and also provides insight into
the relationship between private and public collections.
View Pieces
Ron Woodall, Coutts Homestead, 1977
Watercolour and ink on board | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Illingworth Kerr, Nanton, Alberta, Spring, 1986
Oil on canvas | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Joe Fafard, Hi, 1979
Ink on paper | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Horace Champagne, Thunderclouds Forming, Range 5, St. Hilarion, Quebec, 1982
Pastel on paper | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Joe Fafard, Goose & Egg, 1978
Ink on paper | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Ivan Eyre, Valley River, 2007
Acrylic on canvas | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Takao Tanabe, Chilcotin, Range Land, 1957
Pastel on paper | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Margaret Shelton, Farm, 1981
Watercolour on paper | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Nicholas N. de Grandmaison, Zelma, Saskatchewan
Pastel on paper | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Barbara Ballachey, Spring Squall, 2008
Acrylic on canvas | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Horace Champagne, Western Sunrise near Cochrane, 1982
Pastel on paper | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Irene McCaugherty, Pat Bad Eagle Rodeo, Peigan Reservation, 1963, 1981
Watercolour and ink on paper | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010
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Artistic Mission
Jim Coutts Explores "Home Pain" and His Artistic Mission
By Jim Coutts, 2010
There is a German expression, "Heimweh," which translates as "home pain." It is more than
home-sickness – it is the profound and lasting longing in the stranger to be home – a feeling
that over the years gave much substance to works of art and song.
When collectors are honest with themselves, they admit that there is neither rhyme nor reason
to what they do. In fact they seldom think of themselves as collectors. From time to time they
acquire paintings that appeal to them. When they have a few artworks they start to think – what
is all this about?
It is only in retrospect that they manage to identify themes that prompted them to acquire in
the first place – this is certainly my experience.
There is a German expression, "Heimweh," which translates as "home pain." It is more than
home-sickness – it is the profound and lasting longing in the stranger to be home – a feeling
that over the years gave much substance to works of art and song.
Part of the landscape you know as a youth travels with you – and part of you always remains in
your home landscape. That was my experience of southwest Alberta – especially the Porcupine Hills.
Fortunately I have now been able to return here.
The works that I’ve collected along the way usually reflect my "home pain." One day I lunched with
a collector friend in Toronto who said, "There is a painting at the Godard Gallery you should see."
I went to see it, liked it (in fact was haunted by it) and eventually bought it.
When I got the painting home I looked on the back of the canvas and saw the title – "Sanfois West
of Nanton" by Barbara Ballachey. It was Timber Ridge in the Porcupine Hills – a scene I had seen a
hundred times! It is a fine painting but it was the home pain that captured me.
I was fortunate to grow up in the 1950s in Nanton, Alta., with a mentor dedicated to art. Dorothy
Dowhan culturally adopted me, and from the age of 12 dragged me along to art shows and concerts in
Calgary. Those evening events were often held at the Coste House, a Calgary centre for graphic and
performing arts. Later she gave me a small 1958 painting of West Dover, N.S., by John Cook. Soon,
armed with that one possession and numerous mental images from years of having looked and looked,
I slowly and hesitantly began to acquire art on my own.
I began to meet western artists like Joe Fafard and Janet Mitchell. Janet and I became friends.
After acquiring several of her works, I talked her into letting me be her agent, because she found
it impossible to set prices on her works – which were getting better and better, while she was
selling them for less and less. I soon found myself befriending a number of Canadian dealers who
educated and coached me on Canadian art history.
As Janet shared her ideas about art, I began looking at landscape differently and so many of the
pieces I collected over the following 50 years were done by Prairie artists, struggling to capture
space and light and the wonderful detail of the Canadian Prairies.
Janet’s landscapes were sometimes called squiggles on a board – but were in fact highly imaginative
and she got the prairies exactly right.
Business and politics would keep me travelling for decades. But along the way I made a wonderful
discovery. Virtually every village in the world has at least one person drawing, painting, carving
– sometimes you have to look hard, but they are there. While travelling I often visited them and
began collecting works by local blacksmiths, carpenters, painters, sketchers and sculptors. And in
recent years I’ve come home to discover first-class artists in Nanton, Cayley, Fort Macleod, High
River and Claresholm.
So there it is. My "artistic mission" has been a modest but deeply satisfying one: just poking
around, meeting some wonderful people and occasionally acquiring artworks I liked. The theme of
place clearly seemed to arise again and again in works I acquired, as I tried to deal with the
home pain I felt. As a near-neighbour of the U of L I suspect my home pain will be a little less
intense now, knowing that these works will be right "at home" here in the Art Gallery of the
University of Lethbridge.
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