/

Artists’ Co-Op Resident Gary “G.B.” Carson Remembered

1 min read

Emeryville Artists’ Co-Op resident Gary “G.B.” Carson died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on July 29. He was 71.

Born and raised in Montana, he graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in the History of Art program, studying under Peter Selz (also the founding director of the Berkeley Art Museum). Gary had a long career as an art advisor and appraiser in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the 1980s he was the agent for artists Bruce Conner and Stephen De Staebler, and later became the representative of the Wally Hedrick estate. He was also a chronicler of the San Francisco Punk scene, contributing to such underground publications as Search and Destroy and Damage.

Two decades ago, he began dividing his time between California and Montana. He built a home overlooking the Missouri River near Townsend, Montana, where he continued his lifelong passion for bird hunting. During the winter season, he and painter Catherine Courtenaye lived in Emeryville. Most mornings they could be seen briskly walking their beloved dog Enzo at the off-leash area of César Chávez Park at the Berkeley Marina, which they cared deeply for.

Gary “G.B.” Carson
Gary with Peter Selz and Enzo at the Emeryville Artists’ Co-Op (Photo Credit: Catherine Courtenaye).

Gary was equally at ease with hunting as he was in discussing Surrealism, Situationism, Bay Area figurative painting, contemporary pulp writers or Montana literature. Gary possessed a particular passion for Northern California modernist art, with an admiration for the Funk Art movement and the art that sprung from the Beat Generation. His connoisseurship for the arts was vast and infectious. He had an innate sense of culture and life fully lived. Gary had what some might call “the touch of the marvelous.”

He was honored to have served on the Montana Arts Council. G.B. is survived by his mother, P.M. Dagenais of Helena; his daughter, Miranda Carson of Berkeley; his wife, Catherine Courtenaye of Bozeman and Emeryville; and his French Brittany pup, Jasper, primed to carry on the long line of Carson’s hunting companions.

Gifts in his memory may be given to the Montana Historical SocietyPlanned Parenthood of Montana or the ACLU of Montana.

Feature Image: Catherine Courtenaye

Guest Contributor

The E'ville Eye Guest Contributor series invites local officials, business owners, residents & neighbors to share their opinions and voice about a broad range of subjects involving our city. Contact us if you're interested in submitting an editorial or story.

Leave a Reply

Previous Story

Good to Eat Dumplings Signs Lease at Former Yuzu Ramen Space

Next Story

E’ville Biz: Shellmound Way Developer Pivoting to Commercial; Marketplace Owners Acquire Bay Bridge Center; Gritstone Hunting for ‘Universal’ COVID Vaccine

Is local news essential to you?

We believe reliable and timely information is essential to the Emeryville community. If you agree and can spare a few bucks to help us continue to provide free content, we’d appreciate it.

Support Hyperlocal News →

You have Successfully Subscribed!

%d bloggers like this: