Name/Title
"Van Vlack Bridge", Painted by Karl Fuhre Sr., 1994Entry/Object ID
2026.4.1Scope and Content
Framed PaintingContext
The painting, called "Van Vlack Bridge", was painted by Karl Fuhre in 1994 and given to Walter Borthwick while he was Mayor of the Town of Wasaga Beach. The painting was donated to the Town of Wasaga Beach Archives by Sue Weir, daughter of Walter Borthwick.
About the Artist – Karl Fuhre Sr., written in 1994
Karl Fuhre began his creative career at an early age, painting the furniture his father made. At that time he worked in the traditional folk-art style of the Black Forest. Then, as a teenager, he studied art for several years in Switzerland.
Sometime after coming to Canada in 1953, Karl started his own construction company and, later, his own hotel. But he never lost his early interest in art and, in recent years, has devoted himself to it on a full-time basis.
Karl has studied with the internationally known Canadian master Varga, and with well-known American artists Bill Alexander, Lowell Speers, Brenda Harris and Gloria Stegman.
Today, Karl specializes in landscapes, many of them painted in and around his Wasaga Beach studio on the banks of the Nottawasaga River. He paints mainly in oils, with some acrylics, and uses both brush and knife to create the paintings which have been described as “vivid”, “haunting” and “evocative”.
Karl Fuhre now shares his skills with a select group of students, and his work is becoming increasingly well-known through exhibitions across Ontario.
Karl Fuhre Sr. passed away on Friday, August 31, 2007, in his 86th year.
The brass nameplate attached to the painting reads: "VAN VLACK BRIDGE BUILT CIRCA 1872 NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE NOTTAWASAGA RIVER, AT A TINY VILLAGE TO BECOME WASAGA BEACH - CALLED VAN VLACK BRIDGE by Artist Karl Fuhre"Acquisition
Accession
2026.4Source or Donor
Sue WeirAcquisition Method
GiftDimensions
Dimension Description
Dimension with frameHeight
28 inWidth
32 in
