Arthur was born in Winnipeg on January 8, 1926. He grew up on Niagara St during the depression and he could recall Eaton’s deliveries of groceries by horse and buggy to the family house. He also remembered his mother, Dorothy not having enough money to pay the paper boy. Despite frugal times he and his sister, Joyce cultivated a love of Music and the Arts. Arthur attended Kelvin High School. He was on the football team and he sang bass in the Kelvin choir which at that time was winning all the awards in the Music Festival. Memorable summers were spent at Victoria Beach on Lake Winnipeg with many uncles and aunts and cousins at a rented cottage. Arthur was an enthusiastic regular at Camp Stevens on Lake of the Woods where he enjoyed canoeing and sleepovers on Scotty’s Island. A deep connection with Nature and cottage life was instilled at an early age.

Arthur had a special love for music. He discovered Beethoven early on and he organized soirees at the house for friends to listen to favourite albums. Arthur joined the Sea Cadets Band in order to play the bass trombone and he marched to the beat of “Colonel Bogey.”
He joined the army at the age of 18 and was sent overseas with the Occupying Forces at the end of the War. While in the army Arthur found a rosewood flute that no one was using and he taught himself how to play. Later Arthur played first flute with the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra in various Gilbert and Sullivan productions.

In 1949 Arthur received his first degree in English, French, German and History from the University of Manitoba. His main interest was in French Literature and he went abroad to study and teach in England (Slough), at the Sorbonne in Paris, in Le Havre, and at Ridley College for Boys in St. Catherine’s, Ontario. He returned to Winnipeg to teach high school at West Kildonan Collegiate.

Arthur began to paint in his early 30’s (1957). He was inspired by Joyce who was taking art classes with George Swinton. George became a great mentor and a lifelong friend. While painting at Summer Art School at Emma Lake in Saskatchewan Arthur met Lillian Clapp from Alberta and they married in 1958 and settled in Winnipeg. They had four children, Alan, Frances, Patrick and Karen.

Arthur received his PHD in Baudelaire and French Literature from Madison Wisconsin in the early 1960’s. He returned to Winnipeg to take a job at St. John’s College, University of Manitoba teaching French. He became Associate Professor of French and English Literature at the U of Manitoba with a special interest in the Romantics, William Blake, Dante, Milton and 20th Century Literature. He continued to teach English and Creative Writing at U of Manitoba until 1996.

Arthur met Lucy Stroski while teaching at the University. She was a student of English Literature and William Blake. They were married in 1975 and enjoyed 44 years of marriage. they were blessed to have one son, Nicholas.

Arthur’s first love was always Poetry. He started writing at the age of eight and he published his first poems as a student/editor in The Manitoban, the student newspaper at U of M. He is the author of three books of poetry all of which he illustrated with his own woodcuts. Arthur was a lifelong supporter of local writing initiatives and a familiar contributor and member on the editorial staffs of several local publications including Prairie Fire (with Andris Taskans), CV2 (Dorothy Livesay ), Arts Manitoba and several U of M publications to promote Canadian Literature.

Arthur became interested in the work printmakers and artists, Kelly Clark and Bill Lobchuk, owners of the Screen Shop on Princess Street. The shop was a centre for local poets and artists to mingle and exchange ideas in the early 70’s. Together with Len Anderson, Arthur and Kelly published Omphalos, an underground Winnipeg newspaper. Arthur began experimenting with woodcuts with the intention of illustrating his own poetry books. This led to the purchase of a printing press and many subsequent years of exploration of the printmaking processes with the the help of good friends, Arnold Saper, David Umholtz and Kelly Clark. In 1994, Arthur published a limited edition book of his poetry, Bird Beast and Lover which included 10 original woodblock prints thanks to the collaboration and artistic expertise of publisher and friend, Bernie Leveille.

Arthur loved the outdoors and would periodically disappear into the Canadian outback to sketch, hike, canoe, or sail. A canoe trip to the Arctic on the Coppermine River in 1970 made a lasting impression. It was to be the start of many canoeing/sailing expeditions into the Lake of the Woods, Reindeer lake , Lac LaRonge and the Churchill River with Lucy and children. Tales are still told of sailing adventures along the shores of Lake Winnipeg on his beloved wooden Lightening (which he refused to install a motor on.) “I go my own way! “ This became a familiar motif. Memories live on in the poems and paintings inspired by the Canadian Shield vistas that Arthur paddled and hiked through.

Arthur and Lucy made many memorable trips together, cycling in Ireland, exploring Spain, France and Crete. Favourite holidays in Cuba continued until Arthur was well into his 80’s when once he played goalie for the family team in a game of water polo against a group of lively Australians. It is not recalled who won that game, only the fierce, defensive play of the goalie!

Arthur continued to enjoy his cottage at Victoria Beach until a ripe old age. Hiking out to Elk Island with his children and grandchildren, whoever could keep up, was a familiar pastime and those who could not were often carried home on his shoulders. He continued to be a familiar sight in town riding his bicycle to his downtown studio until into his mid 80’s.

Arthur spent his entire life contributing to the educational and cultural community in Manitoba. In addition to being an accomplished scholar, a dedicated teacher and poet Arthur exhibited extensively as a painter and printmaker and his art reviews and critical essays on local and contemporary art have appeared in many publications over the years. Arthur passed away in 2019.