Andy Olsen
October 19, 2025
List of works
13 Cedars is pleased to present a one-day exhibition of paintings by the late Saint John artist Andreas V. Olsen, aka Andy Olsen.
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Olsen came to Canada in the 1930s and worked as a draftsman at an engineering firm in Saint John. He lived on the west side of Saint John with his wife Nelli Mae, where he built a home on Center Street. Although a prolific and accomplished artist, his work has not been celebrated to the degree that other artists from Saint John have been. Most of Olsen’s work was produced in the 1960s and 70s and oscillates between the fantastical and the traditional, with many works deftly integrating both approaches. His work expresses a sincere and reverent relationship to nature and the maritime landscape, occasionally recalling the Romantic painter, William Blake.
Not much is known about Olsen other than anecdotes from people who were friends with him. There is very little information online and scarce exhibition and collection history except for a short biography that was adhered to the back of many of his paintings.
This exhibition of works has been brought together from various collections and is part of a project funded through a New Brunswick Arts Board Documentation grant to create an online archive of Olsen’s work. The archive will be a consistently evolving database as new pieces are included. The online archive aims to serve as a resource for anyone interested in learning more about Olsen’s life and practice and welcomes input from members of the community.
Accompanying the exhibition and archive, an experimental piece of writing, Andy Olsen is at Peace with the World, was composed by Jay Isaac while researching this project. Section I and II are fictional musings before details were known of Andy’s history. Section III is a copy of the biography pasted to the back of one of Andy’s paintings. Section IV and V are paraphrased anecdotes and information gleaned from conversations with people who knew Andy.
This project has been generously supported by artsnb
