Belle Shenkman
Born
Belle Gubler

June 24, 1928
Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
DiedMarch 11, 1995
London, England
Occupation(s)Arts patron and fundraiser
Spouse(s)Harold Shenkman
Desmond Smith
Children1 son, 1 daughter

Belle Shenkman, CM (June 24, 1928 – March 11, 1995) was a Ukrainian-born, London-based Canadian arts patron and fundraiser.

Early life

Belle Shenkman was born as Bell Gubler was born on June 24, 1928, in Kiev, now the capital of Ukraine.[1] She emigrated to Canada with her parents when she was three months old.[1]

Career

Shenkman organized the first European performance by the National Ballet of Canada, held at the London Coliseum in 1972.[1] She became a member of the Order of Canada in 1979.[1]

Shenkman raised £30,000 for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1982.[1] As a result, it performed at Sadler's Wells in London.[1]

Personal life, death and legacy

Shenkman, then Gubler, married Harold Shenkman in 1948.[1] They had a son, William, and a daughter, Dasha, and later divorced.[1] She married Major General Desmond Smith in 1979; he died in 1991.[1]

Shenkman died on March 11, 1995, in London.[1] The Belle Shenkman Room at the Royal Academy of Arts is named in her memory.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Goodwin, Noël (March 28, 1995). "OBITUARY:Belle Shenkman". The Independent. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  2. ↑ Brown, Mark (June 7, 2012). "Royal Academy unveils £5.7m refurbishment plan to pamper friends". The Guardian. Retrieved September 30, 2016.


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