Sadly, the question now is "who *was* Gordon Couling?", for he passed away in 1984. Gordon Couling was a man who dedicated his life to the arts and cultural life of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He was an artist and historian, born in Guelph in 1913. In the nineteen thirties he was a mural painter and artist in Guelph. He became a faculty member of the MacDonald Institute in 1949. He was the first chairman of the department of fine art at the University of Guelph, and was of the greatest importance in developing the fine arts program there. He had a great passion for ecclesiastical art, and designed much of the furniture and murals in many Ontario churches. As well, he was extremely skilled in stained glass, a skill that not many were practicing in Canada at the time. Many windows in Ontario churches were designed and crafted by Gordon Couling. He also was well-known for his involvement with architectural conservancy in Ontario. His interest and eagerness in preservation of historical Guelph buildings was contagious, and helped spawn interest in Guelph in the city's buildings. He wrote several historical booklets about Guelph, among them "Where Guelph Began" and "A Downtown Walkabout".

Bibliography:

Guelph Arts Council, "His dedication enriched our community", from _Arts in Guelph_, Volume 9, Number 101, October 1984; Gordon Couling Collection, Archive Centre, University of Guelph library, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Gordon Couling's resume, April, 1983; Gordon Couling Collection, Archive Centre, University of Guelph library, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Click here for a quote which I feel aptly describes Gordon Couling.

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