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In memoriam 

Dennis Jones 1932-2007

Dennis Jones, described recently by Gazette art critic Henry Lehmann as “hugely gifted” and “a beloved Concordia art professor,” died in Montreal on Sept 16.

Born in Woolwich, England and raised in India, Dennis studied at the Farnham School of Fine Art in Surrey and worked as a graphic artist in London before coming to Canada in 1958. His teaching career started at Sir George Williams University, and he retired from Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts in 1997.

His friend and colleague Judy Garfin told the Journal, “He was open, enthusiastic and demystified complex processes in print arts for students. He was a natural teacher, and students loved him.

“I think what most drew students to him was the fact that he was an artist first and loved the process of creation. He was so encouraging and positive. He encouraged risk-taking and experimenting, the best things an art instructor can offer. His long history as a practicing artist lent him a presence and ease with himself that made him very approachable.”

A Gazette obituary quoted his son, Brangwyn, as saying that he was eccentric. “He gave rather than received; he would help people even when he was down. He was not a seller of his work; all he cared about was producing art...He didn’t believe anything in life was important enough that you had to rush.”

The Sept. 15 article written by Lehmann was about the Centre de l’Image et de l’Estampe (CIEM), a new art learning environment in the Mirabel area, where a major retrospective of Jones’s work will open on Oct. 10.

Our sympathies are extended to his family and friends.

Leonard Mendelsohn 1937-2007

Former English professor Leonard Mendelsohn died in Montreal on May 8. He was hailed by former students as a remarkable teacher.

Born in Nashville, Tenn., he earned his master’s degree from Harvard University and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin, and taught at Iowa State before moving to Montreal in 1967 to teach at Sir George Williams University.

He belonged to the Hasidic and Lubavitch sects of Judaism, but in the 1980s, he became interested in the pacifist Christian sect, the Shakers, and became an expert on the subject. He retired from teaching at Concordia in 1996.