ARTH 370 Studies in Canadian Art: Canadian Women Artists

• Instructor: Dr. Felicity Hamer

Why have there been no classes about ‘great Canadian women artists'? Taking Linda Nochlin’s seminal text (1971) as our starting point, we will make our way cross-country – from east, to west, then north – considering some of the key issues and theoretical frameworks that have shaped the production and reception of artwork produced by women in (the space dominantly imagined as) Canada. Adhering to the temporal constraints established by the Canadian Women Artists History Initiative (CWAHI), and drawing extensively from this rich archive, we will look at artwork produced by women born pre-1930 (active before 1967). Exploring select case studies, along our journey, we will consider some important artist collectives, art movements and the emergence of feminist art historical frameworks in Canada: What prompted these developments and perspectives, what was their impact, and importantly, who was left out?