Biography

Artistic Career

Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 1937; raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  Majored in Fine Arts in Victoria; private sculpture lessons from Professor Garnier in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Keifer Bezeau has exhibited and taught oil and acrylic painting, pastel drawing, and sculpture across Canada.  She participates regularly in solo and group shows.

Frances Keifer Bezeau has a wide knowledge of technique and the ability to exploit a range of materials from traditional to cold-cast metals.  Her portraits capture personality.  Her sculptures exhibit power and strength.  Much of her sculpture is glyptic, directly carved to free the image inside.  Often, rough stone remains.  Other works are modelled to exploit the natural tones and texture of clay or to allow casting.

Fran Keifer Bezeau has served as Programme Director and then President of the National Capital Network of Sculptors.  As Programme Director, she organized group participation in many exhibitions, demonstrations, and public workshops, including the featured exhibit of sculpture at the Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa, Ontario, beginning in 1993 and continuing thereafter.  She organized the non-commissioned sculptors working in Kelowna during the Okanagan-Thompson Sculpture Symposium, 2002.  She was a founding member of the Kelowna Network of Sculptors in 2002 and in 2003 it became a society.

Art Centre, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, 1973;  Capital Art Gallery, Fredericton, New Brunswick, 1974 and later;  The Village Art Shoppe, Ottawa, Ontario, 1978 and later; The Atrium Gallery, Gallery, Nepean, Ontario, 1991.The Arteca Gallery, Kanata, Ontario, 1983, 1986 & 1994.

Multi-Media Artists, Kingston, Ontario, 1976; Haddassa Art Auction, Kingston, Ontario, 1977; The Arthritis Society Art Auction, Toronto, Ontario, 1989; Art Against Racism, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1989; Ottawa (Ontario) City Hall and Artawa Gallery with The National Capital Network Of Sculptors, 1990; Ottawa School of Art, 1991; Winterlude 'Chocolate Fantasy' (invited artist), Ottawa, 1993; The Atrium Gallery, Nepean, Ont. 1994; The National Capital Network Of Sculptors, 1995, 1996, 1997.and The Kelowna Network of Sculptors 2002, 2003.  Rasa Gallery  2003.

Keifer Bezeau has been represented by galleries in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick; Kingston, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ottawa, and Toronto, Ontario; and Kelowna, Victoria, and Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia. The Art Ark, Kelowna, BC, and The Rasa Gallery Westbank, BC.

Portrait, Stained-glass Window Design and Corporate Logo, Mothers Restaurant, Fredericton, New Brunswick; Corporate Logo for Northern Superior Graphics, Ottawa, Ontario; Architectural Painting, Commandant's House, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario; Women's Bonspiel Trophy 'Ice Maiden' Nepean, Ontario; Canadian National Women's Bonspiel Trophy, Ottawa, Ontario; the Dr. Benner Collection, Arnprior; Ontario; Northern Superior Graphics Collection, Nepean, Ontario; numerous individual portraits in stone, porcelain, clay, oil, and pastel in private collections. The Nehaus Collection, Germany. and The Galatly Heritage Nut Farm, Westbank, BC.

At this date in Fran Keifer Bezeau's life it is important to her to pass on her knowledge as a Master in fine arts.  She no longer  teaches but mentors several emerging artists and demonstrates the steps in sculpture to the public by hands on demonstrations and by teaching through  illustrated talks.  She will continue to work in both small and large scale works of art.  Her favourite medium is marble.