Pandora's Box Gallery and the Vision of Bente Rehm in 1960s Victoria

​​To date, my posts have primarily centred around British Columbia pottery and the potters that made them. What I’ve been missing until now is the important role that galleries played in getting the potter’s wares to market and into the hands of collectors. Successful potters do, after all, have to turn a profit in order to make a viable living, and the galleries that carried their work were one of primary conduits for those transactions.

In the mid-1960s, the arts scene in British Columbia, experienced a vibrant and transformative period. The province's artistic landscape was characterized by a mixture of traditional influences and burgeoning countercultural movements. However, a wave of creative experimentation and cultural change began to sweep through the larger centres. The influence of the broader North American counterculture was felt as young artists and musicians sought to break away from established norms. Local artists began to experiment with new styles and mediums, incorporating elements of psychedelia, pop art, and abstract expressionism into their work. British Columbia’s natural beauty and serene coastal surroundings also played a role in shaping the arts scene. Many artists drew inspiration from the picturesque landscapes and serene seascapes that ​characterized the region, incorporating these elements into their work.

In Victoria, a haven of artistic expression would emerge – Pandora's Box Gallery. From its inception, PBG generated excitement and interest among artists, buyers and local critics. Time Colonist writer Robert Skelton felt “the city and the artistic community need(ed) this service” and felt from the outset that the gallery “could be an important place.”

​The gallery was the brainchild of Danish born Bente Rehm. An emerging visionary in the local Victoria art scene, Bente first became known locally for her woven assemblages. She initially had an interest in becoming a potter, however, taking lessons for two summers from Leonard "Ossie" Osbourne in Saanich, learning on a kick wheel and mixing glazes.  She recalls Osbourne as being a "hard teacher" but that it was a "tremendous learning experience." He allowed his students to keep only one fired piece at the end of the summer - the rest were cut with a wire tool to examine thickness.  When potting didn’t work out, Bente crafted free-form woven panels that incorporated beads, corks, horseshoe nails, and peas. 

Critics at juried shows felt they were “the most fascinating works that were “enormously clever and enormously simple and curiously moving. Her work was even shown at the National Gallery in Ottawa. Bente's deep appreciation for avant-garde and experimental art, combined with her unwavering commitment to fostering a creative community, launched what would become a brief but important hub for West Coast art.

A Catalyst For Creativity

Pandora's Box Gallery, opened on a Friday night, on March 18, 1966 in an old house at 750 Pandora Street (hence the name). The building’s owner, J. Watson Marles was initially tempted to demolish the house to add to his adjacent parking lot. He spared it from the wrecking ball though, and instead rented it to Bente. While he had no interest in art himself, he is quoted that he “thought it about time Victoria had a gallery of this kind.” It became Victoria’s first privately owned boutique art gallery.

The original PBG location at 750 Pandora

​The gallery was small and being located in an old house posed some unique problems. A lack of electrical supply to light the space after dark required Bente to rent extra lights and extension cords and run them across the parking lot to a neighbouring garage to make evening showings in the evenings possible.
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And then there were the typical challenges one faces when starting a small business on their own as well as the simultaneous responsibility of a single mom raising her children. Perhaps the biggest obstacle in the gallery’s first year was a fire that occurred six weeks after it opened. A faulty furnace in a back room destroyed 27 works of art by Toni Onley, Tony Hunt, Vicky Husband, and Nita Forrest among others. While the artwork was fully insured, the loss of electricty from the fire put the gallery in a precarious situation.

This did not deter Bente and soon Pandora’s Box Gallery was well patronized by the locals. Artists featured in the first year included Maxwell Bates, Eliza Mayhew, Herbert Siebner, Flemming Jorgensen and Molly Privett.
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Critics enthusiastically received and covered the gallery’s exhibits “make(ing) it crystal clear that Pandora’s Box is performing a vital public service. The artists and collectors of Vancouver Island have long needed such a gallery.” They went to implore the public that “if Victoria is to become the centre of artistic activity so many of us desire, it must support such ventures as Pandora’s Box in every way it can.” Critic Ted Lindberg wrote that without commercial outlets like PBG, “a community can jolly well wait for the tastemakers at the National Gallery, the Vancouver Art Gallery, Life, Time and Artscanada and other redoubtable authorities to tell us what’s happening.” Going on to say that “Pandora’s Box has provided you with that one slender excuse for claiming this city is involved in contemporary local art,” and that “the city needs Pandora’s Box more than it needs the city.”

​Soon, Bente went on to secure a new location for PBG within a repurposed munitions warehouse by the harbor at 1208 Wharf Street. Taking over a rival gallery’s space – Angel’s Camp Gallery, the new Pandora’s Box reflected Rehm's inclination for marrying art with unconventional spaces. The juxtaposition of the industrial setting (complete with a walk in safe) with the cutting-edge artworks it housed created an immersive experience that engaged visitors on multiple levels. The roomier new location also allowed for small concerts, poetry readings and film viewings.

The second PBG location below Bastion Square.

​People certainly took notice and Bente’s business grew. Her exhibitions were reviewed by Canadian Art magazine twice in 1967 alone. And while the painting featured
prominently on the walls – it was the public’s new interest in the art of pottery that would help pay the bills.

Prominent artists in the field of ceramics and pottery, such as Jan and Helga Grove, as well as Tam Irving and Mick Henry, were among the notable figures featured at Pandora's Box Gallery during the 1960s. Their contributions added depth and variety to the gallery's offerings.
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The Groves had just recently arrived in Canada and established their pottery around the same time the original PBG opened. The Groves were European trained potters of the highest calibre whose work would come to be recognized nationally and internationally over the next 40 years. She featured their work in a solo exhibit at the gallery from April 1-20, 1967, with an opening the night prior.

Bente remembers the Groves as “quite shy and modest” and carried their pottery for the duration of the gallery’s existence. She recalls that it sold very well and consistently, especially the smaller blue tableware pieces by Jan – mugs, plates, bowls, etc. What was most eye-catching on her gallery shelves though were the “incised hieroglyphic” pieces by Helga – lamp bases, large vases and bottles featuring the deft of hand sgraffito decorative work Helga was exceptionally skilled at and known for. One art critic said “the incised patterns appear initially to resemble the most serious of hieroglyphic messages, and are organized with grave precision, a second look reveals that they are witty, even comic passages; gaiety keeps breaking through.” If you look closely at the display photos, you can spot some of Helga’s work.

Mick Henry was another artist who featured prominently at Pandora’s Box. Bente recalls taking the ferry to Vancouver and driving down to Glenn Lewis’ studio under the Granville Street bridge to meet Mick and load up her car. Recently back in Canada after his well-documented apprenticeship at St. Ives, Bente recalls a quiet but friendly potter whose work was much in demand. He was establishing a name for his work after a solo show at the Bau Xi in Vancouver, where interest in the work of the Leach Apprentices was growing. Here, he was using Vancouver’s first gas fired kiln, built in the early 1960s by California potter Ricardo Gomez. During these visits to pick up Mick’s wares, Bente remembers meeting Wayne Ngan and Glenn Lewis but she never carried either potter’s work. Bente kept a couple of her favourite pieces by Mick Henry, shown below…

Mick Henry plate (front and back). 10 1/2" c 1 1/2" circa 1966.

Mick Henry shallow tenmoku bowl (front and back). 10" x 3" circa 1966.

​After three years of struggle to keep the PBG open, Bente listed the gallery for sale at the end of 1968 and it closed shortly after that. While it is widely agreed that Pandora’s Box was an important aspect of Victoria art and culture, the financial challenges of running a gallery proved too much. Critic Ted Lindberg stated “it is not a matter of mismanagement, and I happen to know Mrs. Rehm has subsisted on a budget so marginal that it is a wonder the gallery hasn’t folded long ago.” Sadly it did, and an iconic part of BC’s artistic story was gone.

During its brief time, Pandora's Box Gallery had a profound impact on the local Victoria art scene. The gallery's exhibitions weren't just displays of art and craft; they were catalysts for meaningful conversations. Bente Rehm's commitment to fostering a sense of community among artists and potters contributed to the gallery's enduring legacy today – people who were there fondly remember it. Emerging talents found a nurturing space to grow, collaborate, and gain exposure, while established artists were encouraged to experiment and evolve. This approach resonated far beyond the gallery's physical presence, shaping the ethos of artistic engagement on Vancouver Island for years to come.

Bente in her gallery with the collage work of Richard Ciccimarra on the walls.

Many thanks to Bente Rehm for her recollections, photographs, and patience while I put this together. Also a thank you to my friend Allan Collier for photos of the ephemera.

Weaving experiment crashes art world. (1965, August 7), Times Colonist, p. 4.
(1966, February 26). Times Colonist, p. 16. 
Boultbee, J. (1966, March 18). Pandora's Box to show city artists' treasures. Times Colonist.
Skelton, R. (1966, March 5). Artistic vitality permeates Pandora’s Box. Times Colonist, p. 6. 
Paintings lost in gallery fire. (1966a, May 3). Times Colonist, p. 8. 
Fund set up to help gallery after fire. (1966, May 4). Times Colonist, p. 8.
​Skelton, R. (1966, July 23). Pandora's Box feels hot breath of competition. Times Colonist, p. 14.
Skelton, R. (1966, November 19). Jars evoke essence of jardom. Times Colonist, p. 6.
Bill, D. (1966, November 26). A business woman is born - Pandora's Box moves into Angel's Camp. Times Colonist, p. 8.
Lindberg, T. (1968, June 15). When will people support a gallery? Times Colonist, p. 10.
(1968, December 5). Times Colonist, p. 36.
Amos, R. (1986, August 2). Presto!... in 1966 an art gallery was opened. Times Colonist, p. 27.
Interviews and correspondence with Bente Rehm, 2022-2023.
Images courtesy of Bente Rehm, Allan Collier, and AGGV.

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Addendum

If you have any “incised hieroglyophic” pieces by Helga Grove you wish to sell, please contact me. Examples of her work are shown below, along with an example of her signature which you will find underneath the piece.

I’m also interested in acquiring specific works by Mick Henry. Please contact me if you have one or more pieces to sell.