Dainis Miezajs

Born in 1929 in Latvia, he studied art in Esslingen, Germany, under Prof. John Kuga (1947). He came to Canada in 1948 and settled at Noranda where he worked for three years as a miner (1948-51). He moved to Toronto where he attended the Ontario College of Art (1951-56) and in his final year won the Governor General's Medal for proficiency in drawing and painting. After graduation he worked as a CBC scenic artist (1956-61).

In 1961 he became an instructor of painting and drawing at the Ontario College of Art where he taught until the close of the 1960's. In his own painting he is known for his landscapes and portraits in water colours, oils and acrylics. His one-man shows include: Central Library, Tor. (1957); Stauvers' Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio (1958); Poriets' Gallery, Boston, Mass. (1959); Gita Treiman Gallery, NYC (1960); Picture Loan Society, Tor. (1962, 63, 64, 66). In 1967 Douglas Duncan sponsored Miezajs for a two-year painting tour across Canada. On completion of the project his work was circulated by the Art Gallery of Ontario to various centres in Ontario under the title of "Across Canada In Water Colours - A Centennial Tour by Dainis".

He won Hadassah Awards in 1961 and 1966 and an honourable mention in a World Latvian Art Show in 1965. His work has appeared in the following group shows: Colour and Form Society of Artists, Tor. (1958-1966); Hadassah Art Shows, Tor. (1960-66); Winter Show, Hamilton Art Gallery (1964); Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (1965-66); Latvis Society of Artists (1956-66). He is represented by the Roberts Gallery, Tor., Stauvers' Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio and the Gita Treiman Gallery, NYC. His paintings are in the collections of St. Michael's College, Univ. Tor.; Nat. Gal. of Can. (D. Duncan bequest); Proctor and Gamble Donwood Foundation; Falconbridge Mines; I.B.M., Rothman's, and many private collections. He owns and operates the Madawaska Valley School of Art, north of Maynooth, Ont., near the southern end of Algonquin Provincial Park. He signs his paintings Dainis. Lives in Toronto with his wife Marilyn who is a nurse.

Extract from “A Dictionary of Canadian Artists”

http://www.latcan.org/miezajs.html