JG Freedman

After moving to Vancouver from Los Angeles in 1970 to avoid Vietnam, Joseph Gregory Freedman found work on B.C.’s tugboats. Inspired by the spectacular nature of the Pacific coast, he also began to paint. While he had his first one-man show in 1972, his art would be a great love but a secondary pursuit for the next 31 years.

At the age of 51, after retiring from Vancouver’s SeaBus as a distinguished captain, painting became his second, full-time career. The realization of a life’s dream, it was still a challenging decision. “We had a beautiful heritage home in North Vancouver,” he says, “and we were house-proud. Retiring early meant giving that up, but Marilyn (my wife) said, ‘(F***orget) the house – paint.’ So I did.” 

His second one-man show, in 2002, was celebrated nationally, receiving accolades from CBC’s The Arts Report and a feature article in NUVO magazine; his paintings since have found their way to buyers throughout North America.

The Globe and Mail

Freedman has also shown his work in Calgary at the Master’s Gallery; in Vancouver at Linda Lando Fine Art and Peter Ohler Fine Art, in Victoria at the Henry Street Gallery and in Toronto at Peterson Fine Art.