Peter Goetz

Title: Conrad Grebel University College art collection : Peter Goetz

Dates of Creation: [19--]

Physical Description: 18 watercolors; 1 sketchbook

Biographical sketch: Peter Goetz (1917-2007), son of Henry and Justia Goetz, was born in Slavgorod, Russia and immigrated to Canada in 1929. Peter attended Kitchener Collegiate Institute where he met his future wife, Helena Warkentin. They had two children. During World War II, he served at an Alternative Service work camp in British Columbia. While working as an accountant with B.F. Goodrich, he attended art classes at Waterloo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University) and the Doon School of Arts where he studied with Frederick Varley of the Group of Seven and joined the Kitchener-Waterloo Society of Artists. He travelled widely with his exhibitions. His work is in the collections of Queen Elizabeth II, the City of Waterloo, the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, the London Regional Art Gallery, the National Club in Toronto, the Universities of Guelph, Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier, Conrad Grebel University College, and many private homes.

Scope and Content: The collection consists of 17 framed watercolours and one sketchbook focusing on traditional Mennonite life and scenes from Waterloo County. For his book Western Memoirs about his trip to an alternative service camp in British Columbia, see the Milton Good Library.

Custodial history: The Goetz family donated 16 original watercolours and one of his sketchbooks to the College in 2009. The College subsequently framed these paintings. One additional framed painting, "Gathering at the Meetinghouse," was donated in 2010 by Gerald Toogood. "The Village Novgorod" was donated by Jon Cooperman in 2022.

File list:

1. Old Kitchener Market
2. Sunday Service
3. Red Barn
4. Mennonite Women [in buggy]
5. Horse and Buggy [on country road]
6. Buggies and Silos
7. Schneider House
8. Barn Raising #3
9. Maple Sugaring
10. Maple Syrup Pails
11. Mennonite Women in Kitchen
12. Sunday Morning
13. Waterloo County
14. April
15. Elmira Mill
16. Blaire Field, Waterloo County
17. Linwood Mennonite School
18. Barn raising sketchbook
19. Collection accession and inventory records
20. The Village Novgorod
21. Gathering at the Meetinghouse

Restrictions: The paintings and their copyright are the property of Conrad Grebel University College.