Exclusive event celebrates Cochrane painter Roland Gissing's legacy

Every year, the Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation teams up with Cochrane Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) to host meaningful events for local seniors as part of Seniors' Week. 

Scott Grattidge, executive director of the Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation said they're hosting a history talk that will focus on a past Cochrane resident who was a famous artist. 

"You will be kind of be given an overview of who Roland Gissing was, why he picked Cochrane when he came over from England, kind of that passion of art. But the presentation will be given by his granddaughter, so she's got a personal connection." 

Gissing called Cochrane home for many years and was one of Alberta’s most famous and prolific landscape artists.

The Stockmen's has been lucky enough to secure a collection of Gissing's artwork, explains Grattidge. 

"We'll have probably close to about 20 of his original pieces there along with some of his personal artifacts and different information. His cancelled brand file that we were able to pull out of the Stockmen's archives. Just a few cool, neat things to kind of bring to life who that artist was." 

Gissing is one of Cochrane’s most esteemed historical painters. His granddaughter will share personal stories about his journey from England to the Cochrane area. 

The Cochrane RancheHouse houses a couple of Gissing's pieces permanently.

"If you've ever been in the Chinook Dining Room up at the RancheHouse there are two large scenes of Cochrane up on the wall. Those paintings were actually done by him for the Cochrane Light Horse club for the Calgary Stampede float. They were these big huge paintings on either side of the float. There was one on the back which hangs in the Stockmen's and then we've got one of his original pieces in there as well."

The event will go Wednesday, June 5 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

Event goers will need a ticket, but the tickets are free.

You can get your ticket at Cochrane FCSS, Seniors on the Bow, the Cochrane Public Library or you can also call the Stockmen's at 403-932-3782.