Imagine, for a moment, the world of lamplight under which our forebears read, talked, painted, sewed, ate, and wrote. Perhaps, as dark closed in, they poured tea into a cup from a silver teapot and idly stirred in sugar with a favourite silver teaspoon. Dance, music, literature, drama and a host of other arts were a rich part of that flickering realm. In that world of light and shadow, women created and nurtured the rich cultural mosaic that we enjoy today. Inspired by Canada's 150th Anniversary in 2017, this collection of contemporary silver candleholders, made from heritage silver, honours Canadian women's creative past and inspires their future.
Two Canadian families donated the silver found in these candleholders. Before times and values changed, five generations used the original metal in the form of tea and coffee sets, serving dishes and cutlery. After learning that most of the silver had only scrap value, the families decided to make something beautiful from the metal that would reflect on Canadian women's past accomplishments in the arts and, in its modernity, inspire future achievements. Stimulated by this idea, between 2017 and 2018, fifteen renowned Canadian metalsmiths transformed the silver into new and contemporary candleholders.
Each unique creation honours Canadian women's involvement in a particular art and includes a recognizable element from the original gift. Attached to each piece is a tiny silver monogram bearing the words: Women, Arts, Canada and the number 150, a reference to Canada's sesquicentennial.
CURATOR: Laura Brandon
PHOTOGRAPHY: Keith Betteridge
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Grateful thanks and appreciation for their wonderful work to all the artists especially Beth Alber, Anne Barros and Lois Etherington Betteridge. Also deserving of thanks are Keith Betteridge, Rob Brandon and Anne Greenlay for generously supporting the exhibition in so many ways.
"With unique inspiration and some old silver, an exhibit at the University of New Brunswick’s Memorial Hall put a polished shine on the efforts of female artists that were muddied during their time...”
"Inspired by Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017 and a desire to highlight women’s role in Canada’s history, candle holders were the chosen subject, partly because the light source 150 years ago would have been candlelight … it’s a metaphor for lighting the past and the future...”
A graduate of Montreal's School of Jewellery and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, Vallée has won a number of awards and exhibited her unique artwork across the world.
A graduate of the University of Guelph and OCAD University, Macintyre apprenticed with Lois Etherington Betteridge. A recognized teacher and jewellery designer, she maintains a studio and exhibition space showcasing the work of Canadian metal-smiths including herself.
A graduate of Humber College and the Sir John Cass School of Art, London, Barros exhibits internationally, writes about metalwork and has won numerous awards. A member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, her work is in public and private collections globally including that of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK.
Head of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design's Jewellery/Metal Studio, Clavette has won numerous awards. A member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, her work is in public collections globally including that of the Royal Ontario Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK.
A recipient of the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Gilbert is a sculptor, teacher and jeweller and exhibits internationally. Her work is in numerous Canadian public and private collections.
A graduate of York and Western Universities, Funnell is an award - winning sculptor and metalsmith. His work is found in a number of Canadian private and public collections. .
A multiple award-winning metal-smith, Goluch's artwork is in public and private collections across Canada. A graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, she has exhibited globally.
A graduate of the Alberta College of Art and Design and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Anderson has exhibited globally for more than forty years. The recipient of numerous awards, her work is in private and public collections across the world.
A member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Vickerson is an associate professor at OCAD University and the former chair of its Material Art and Design program. He has exhibited and written widely while also maintaining an independent design practice.
A winner of the Saidye Bronfman Award, Son is a graduate of Seoul National University, South Korea and Indiana University, Bloomington, US. She is on the faculty of the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University and is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Her work has garnered numerous awards and is in public and private collections globally.
Photo Credit: Jessica Lovell/Metroland
A studio artist since 1952, Etherington Betteridge has exhibited globally. Her commissioned works have encompassed jewellery and ecclesiastical and secular holloware, including presentation pieces for Canadian premiers and prime ministers. Her numerous awards include the Order of Canada, the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in Crafts and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
A graduate of OCAD University, McIntyre studied under Lois Etherington Betteridge. A well-established curator, metalsmith, sculptor and teacher, her work has been exhibited across Canada.
A member of the Nimpkish band, Kwakiutl First Nation, Barkhouse, a sculptor and metalsmith, has exhibited widely across Canada and the US. Her work is in many public and private collections in Canada.
A graduate of Sheridan College School of Design, Tulonen Smith apprenticed with Lois Etherington Betteridge. Her commissioned work is in many Canadian public and private collections.
A former professor in the Design Faculty at OCAD University, Alber trained at Sheridan College's School of Design and Craft and at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University. She has exhibited widely and successfully in Canada and is a recipient of Craft Ontario's John and Barbara Mather Award for Lifetime Achievement.
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