| ARTIST BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: |
Landscape painter, Michael Pisko, was born in Lethbridge, Alberta on November 25, 1913. As a young man, he showed an interest in commercial art; however, he studied industrial electricity at the Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary. Due to the Great Depression, jobs were scarce after graduation, and he was lucky to get a part-time job at a local sign company in Lethbridge. Over time, with practice and his natural artistic skillset, Pisko became a highly proficient employee at the sign company. Eventually, he formed a partnership with another employee with similar skills. Throughout this period, Pisko painted and sketched continuously. The ever-changing weather and the stunning landscape of the Southern Alberta provided endless inspiration and are apparent in most of his collection. He depicted chinook arches, majestic winter snowfalls, bright sunny days, golden wheat fields, iconic grain elevators, and quaint prairie towns. Pisko’s strived to capture the character of the country, by using strong contracts of colour, light, shade, and strong lines. In the 1930s, Pisko attended art classes with H. G. Glyde, who was teaching for the Fine Arts Department at the University of Alberta. To further his skill, Pisko also studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts (today, The Banff Centre). Pisko painted with A. Y. Jackson, Marion Nicoll and Bart Pragnell. Pisko, was an active member of the Lethbridge Sketch Club and in 1948 he became a member of the Alberta Society of Artists, into which he was eventually inducted as a lifetime member.
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