George Fry

George Fry (26 December 192920 September 2014) was an English-born Canadian artist, educator and administrator. He was the director of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design from 1976 to 1993.

Education and early career

Fry studied illustration and theatre design at Goldsmith's College and earned a National Diploma in Design (NDD). While a student at Goldsmith's he worked in the properties department at The Old Vic, where he made papier-mâché masks for a production of The Snow Queen.

Fry contacted Annette Mills after seeing her performing with her puppet Muffin the Mule on the BBC television program For the Children in late 1949. She engaged him to create a new puppet, Prudence Kitten, who first appeared with her on For the Children in June 1950. He later worked as a freelance illustrator and lectured on art history at Ravensbourne College of Art.

Career in Canada

Fry emigrated in 1963 and settled in New Brunswick, where he was hired as a teacher by John Hooper, the Saint John city schools art director. In 1976 he was appointed director of the New Brunswick School of Arts and Crafts in Fredericton. As director he introduced foundation courses in "design drawing and art history and photography" shifting the school's emphasis from "craft training to craft education".

When Fry retired from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design in 1993 he became a full-time artist. His primary artistic practice was mask-making. During his career Fry was involved in over 45 group and solo exhibitions.

Fry designed the masks and costumes for The Enchanted Forest, the ninth in R. Murray Schafer's Patria series of music theatre works.

Fry died on 20 September 2014. In 2015 the exhibition gallery at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design was renamed The George Fry Gallery.

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for service to Canada (2003)