Artist Peter Etril Snyder is Retiring

UPDATE: this article is dated since it was written originally in 2009 didn’t anticipate Peter’s passing. Peter Etril Snyder, 73, died on Monday August 28, 2017 at Grand River Health Centre, King St W, Kitchener where he was born January 28, 1944.

The content of the following was written to reflect information that was current to the time, and has changed with his passing and the passage of time. It still conveys my appreciation for Peter’s art and for Peter himself.

When I lived in Ontario, Christine and I collected Peter Etril Snyder prints. We could afford the prints and we enjoyed the Old Order Mennonite farming scenes. They still hang in our home as framed prints and collector plates. Now 65 year old Snyder has announced his imminent retirement. While he can never stop painting, he is closing his gallery and will no longer offer reproductions of his paintings. His website will continue to offer the sale of his originals. He will also do commissioned pieces.

His website and recent interviews disclose that some health issues, his age and general lack of energy have made him conclude that this is the right time to relax. I am sorry for his health concerns but I understand that he is being wise. He wants to travel with his wife Marilyn and to enjoy these next years without endangering himself.

Snyder’s career spans forty years and he has enjoyed good success. His paintings are avidly collected by people, corporations and organizations worldwide, including the Canadian Museum of Civilization. One of his paintings, ‘The Homesteaders’, was officially presented to HRH Prince Phillip during a visit to Alberta in 1985. During his career he has also been recognized with an Honourary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from Wilfred Laurier University and is a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International.

His is an interesting and singular story. He was born in 1944 to Mennonite parents. His father moved the family from the traditional farming community into town He held his first exhibition in 1963 at the Mall Gallery in Ottawa. Following his graduation from the Ontario College of Art in 1966 he toured Europe and returned there repeatedly through the years as well as trips to Central and South America and United States. In 1967 he exhibited in Buffalo, NY. 1969. Familiar with the old world values, in 1969 Snyder began to capture the charm and simplicity of Mennonite life on canvas. These subjects found a keen market in the Waterloo region and beyond. He held a one-man show of these Mennonite paintings in Kitchener in 1970. He was fortunate when in 1971 the Industrial Acceptance Corporation (now HSBC Bank Canada) purchased a large number of his paintings. During 1972-1974 he held numerous one man shows throughout Ontario.

1975 was the pivotal year that he opened his own gallery in Waterloo. To open and remain operative for 40 years is a rare accomplishment for active artists. Imagine painting, running and supervising a gallery and essentially working six days each week for most of these past four decades. His gallery will be open until December 31, 2009.

“My niece, Cynthia has taken over my library of images. My hope is that my work and it’s further application does not die with me.”   Peter Etril Snyder

Since Peter Etril Snyder’s passing:
Website: https://snydergallery.com
Cynthia Weber: CYNTHIA WEBSER DESIGN is an extraordinary interior design site. Cynthia is an accredited interior decorator and a member of the Decorators & Designers Association of Canada DDA
Here Cynthia expresses her collaboration with her Uncle Peter and his art.
My interest in developing my design website and managing my own SM branding intrigued him and in 2016 when his website became out of date and needed redesigning he asked me to step in. He wanted people to have a place to come learn about his career, look at his paintings and read what he had written about each piece. I think that goal was achieved very nicely indeed! You can click through to explore the Gallery Website.