Father Paul-Emile Côté
Artist: Father Paul-Emile Côté (1913-2014)
Dated: July 24, '73 or ‘93
Inscribed: “Done in Marcelin Sask”
Dimensions: 13” x 10”
Medium: Shoe polish on paper
Found this beauty last week at Goodwill. I passed by it for several weeks, thinking it was just a print. It was pressed up against the glass in its frame, so it was hard to see the markings, and it wasn’t until I bought it and I popped it out of the frame that I could see the beautiful strokes and marks. I looked up the name in the signature, and had the pleasure of learning about Father Paul-Emile Côté. This is an excerpt of his obituary, as it appears on https://panow.com/listing/father-paul-emile-cote/:
Artist: Father Paul-Emile Côté (1913-2014)
Dated: July 24, '73 or ‘93
Inscribed: “Done in Marcelin Sask”
Dimensions: 13” x 10”
Medium: Shoe polish on paper
FATHER PAUL-EMILE CÔTÉ
Posted May 13, 2014
Father Paul-Emile Côté peacefully passed away on Monday, May 12, 2014 at the age of 101 in the infirmary at the Sisters of the Presentation in Prince Albert. Father Côté was born on April 6, 1913 in St-Pierre-Jolys Manitoba. At the age of 20, he entered the “Clers de Saint-Viateur” and remained with them for 33 years. He had a BA from the school of Fine Art at the University of Manitoba and a certificate of Advanced Studies in Quebec. He also studied art at Banff School of Fine Arts and at Fordham University, New York. As a Brother, he taught science, literature, history and art to both elementary and high school students for 20 years. After being called to the priesthood, he left the “Clers de Saint-Viateur” to study with the Jesuits and then the Oblates at St. Charles Scholasticate in Battleford. He was ordained at the age of 55 at St-Pierre-Jolys by Bishop Morin on December 28, 1968. He served as pastor in Prince Albert, Melfort, Tisdale, Rosthern, North Battleford, and St. Louis as well as replacing in many parishes until 1989. Father Côté is well-known for his “Uneek Art” mainly done in shoe polish. He painted over 2000 landscapes, portraits, abstracts, still life, and roses using some 90 different colors of shoe polish and cream from some 20 different brands. He would say, “I want to help Canadians become aware of the dormant artistic talent hidden in their soul.” Father Côte prayed with his Bible, and was inspired by the Word of God that he so deeply loved to proclaim and preach. He was known for his sense of beauty and his generous joyful spirit.
““I want to help Canadians become aware of the dormant artistic talent hidden in their soul.””
