Collection: Wesley Bates

Wesley Bates was born in 1952 in Yukon and raised in South Western Saskatchewan. He moved to Hamilton after leaving Mount Alison University in 1977. Bates pursued a career as a Painter and Printmaker in Hamilton where he had numerous exhibitions. In 1981 he took up wood engraving and freelance illustration. He also established West Meadow Press, a small private press through which he has illustrated and published limited edition books since 1983.

Primarily known for his work as a wood engraver, Bates has worked for many of the major publishing houses including McClelland & Stewart, Penguin, Random House, Porcupine’s Quill and Gaspereau Press. He has illustrated books by such authors as W.O. Mitchell, Stuart McLean, Timothy Findley, Russel Smith, and Don McKay.

Bates’ work is represented in public collections including, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Laurentian University, Glenbow Art Gallery, Grimsby Public Gallery, University of Kentucky, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and San Francisco Public Library – Special Collections. His work is held in private collections in Canada, the United States, England, Ireland, Australia, Spain, Japan and China. In 1993 nine works were presented to China by the province of Ontario.

In 2000, Bates received the ‘Hamilton Arts Award’ from the Hamilton and Region Arts Council. In 2003, Wofford College in Spartaburg, South Carolina mounted a retrospective exhibition of Bates’ wood engravings. Bates now lives in Clifford, Ontario where he works at wood engraving, painting, and fine press printing.