Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador (AGNL) Shaped by the Sea Permanent Collections Anne Meredith Barry Peter Bell Sylvia Bendzsa David Blackwood Wally Brants Manfred Buchheit Scott Fillier Scott Goudie Pam Hall Tish Holland Josephina Kalleo Kathleen Knowling Frank Lapointe Ray Mackie Colin Macnee Stewart Montgomerie George Noseworthy Paul Parsons Helen Parsons Shepherd Rae Perlin Christopher Pratt Mary Pratt Barbara Pratt Wangersky William B. Ritchie Gary Saunders Reginald Shepherd Gerald Squires Janice Udell Arch Williams Don Wright

Scott Fillier Visual artist, poet and musician, Scott Fillier, is a man of many artistic expressions. Fillier was born in 1939 in Roddickton, located on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula. He became interested in the creative arts as a child when his father brought home a foot pedal organ, which Fillier learned to play within a few hours. His interest in writing and painting came a year later, and the awards that he won for them, primarily from Canadian Boy, a United Church newsletter, encouraged him to pursue an artistic career. Fishermen's Series: Drawing 1 of 9 1977 Pen, Ink on Paper 21.3 x 28 cm (33KB) In the early 1960s he won a scholarship to the Ontario College of Art (OCA), where he graduated as a silver medallist. He also earned a degree in art history from Concordia University in Montréal in 1972. Except for his times on the mainland, Fillier's art came into being in the relative isolation of his home in Roddickton. He had several solo and group exhibitions in Newfoundland, mainland Canada and the United States. He published poetry, most often in the magazines The Newfoundland Quarterly and TickleAce. He also worked as a music teacher in his community. Serious health problems, caused by paint fumes, forced Fillier in 1979 to virtually abandon painting for several years, despite attempts to experiment with various paint media. During this period he began to concentrate more on his poetry and music, except for some artwork in graphite or ink. Fishermen's Series 1977 Pen and Ink 21.5 x 27.8 cm (33KB) After 1986 Fillier began to feel more comfortable with using water-based acrylic paints, often making the unusual choice of painting on Plexiglas. He also became engaged in computerized artwork, which was exhibited locally on several occasions. Fillier's artwork varies in style. While he was noted for landscapes and figure work earlier in his career, he has since explored more abstract forms of art. Fillier often accompanies his artworks with his own poetry or music, in order to add an extra dimension to his work. Fillier has recently moved to Ontario, where he continues to teach music and experiment with computerized artwork.