A Biography of Norah Mccullough Dama Dons Gailagher MA A
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Bringing Art to the People: A Biography of Norah McCullough by Dama Dons Gailagher M.A. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Canadian Studies Carleton University OlTAWA, Ontario January 13 1997 Dama Dons GaiIagher National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 ,,,,da du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/h7de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantid extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. This thesis is the first project to recover the Life and work of Norah McCullough, examining her role as an art educator, and cultural promoter and activist in Canada and South Africa between 1920 and 1968. McCuUough is positioned as a catalyst in the Canadian art world, with a lifelong cornmitment to public education in the visual arts. hterdisciplinary in approach and grounded in a feminist methodology, this thesis integrates aspects of Women's Studies, Art History, Social History, Art Education and South Mcan History and shows intersections of gender, race and class. McCullough's pioneering engagement in a number of art initiatives and arts organizations such as The Child Art Movement, the Picture Luan Society, the Ontario College of Art, The National Gallery of Canada and ïhe Saskatchewan Arts Board is highlighted through a review of her correspondence, published writings and inte~ews. During the writing of this thesis I have received support ftom a number of individuals. First and foremost 1 would like to thank my advisors at Carleton University, Professor Katherine Arnup of the School of Canadian Studies and Professor Natalie Lucb of the School for Studies in Art and Culture, Art History programme. I would also Iike to thank teachen at the Nova Scotia Coilege of Art and Design who first encouraged my work interest in wnting, art history and feminisni. These individuais include Dr. Marylin MacKay, Director, Art History D~sion, Professor Wiha Needharn who teaches Feminism and Art Criticism, Professor Bruce Barber, former head of Graduate Studies and Dr. Kenna Manos, former instructor of English. The support of family and £riends has been invaluable to the completion of this essay. These include my son Lachlan MacLeod, my mother and father Helen and Cameron Gallagher and kiends Jessie Paterson, Jane Thacker, Brenda Pams, Marie-Josée Charron, Michael Abraham, Meredith Hutchings, Sharon Chisholm, Jane Butler, Gordon Stokoe, Graham Metson and Cheryl Lean. Table of Contents Acknowledgments ............................................. i Introduction ................................................. 1 Chapter 1 The Foundation Years: Toronto 1927-1938 ................ 13 Chapter 2 Art Has A Social Message: South Africa 1938-1946 .......... 64 Chapter 3 Brioging Art to the People: Saskatchewan 1948-1958 ........ 100 Chapter 4 Sharing the Nation's Treasures: Western Canada 1958-1968 ... 133 Conclusions ............................................... 160 Appendices Appendix 1 Abbreviations .................................... 171 Appendix II Chronology. Chapter 1 ............................. 172 Appendiw III Chronology. Chapter 2 ............................. 174 Appendix IV Chronology. Chapter 3 ............................. 176 Appendix V Chronology. Chapter 4 ............................. 178 Bibliography ............................................... 181 Introduction Artists. teaches, curators and cultural bureaucrats from the Canadian art world who knew Norah McCullough praised her and her work. McCuliough was credited with pioneering work in several significant Canadian art projects and institutions. She was respected for her energetic and Wionary administrative abilities -- to rnarshal talent, initiate innovative arts projects and provide practical approaches to community arts programming. She is remembered also for her sparkling personality, social graces, warmth, and inexhaustible enthusiasm. During her lifetime, McCullough's career was well documented in newspapers from Toronto to Vancouver and in the social columns in the major South African newspapers. From the 1940's to the late 1960's she contributed articles to Canadian & adult education journals and wrote several National Gallery exhibition catalogues. Dunng the 1940s and 1950s she was heard on CBC broadcasts in Saskatchewan. Despite haviag a documented and public professional profile, few people, apart ftom her contemporaries, have heard of Norah McCuUough. She began her career at the Art Gallery of Toronto. She worked there from 1927 to 1937. in Child Art education, first as Arthur Lisrner's assistant and then as acting director during Lismer's two year absence. This position led to six years of work in South Mca. During her first two years she supe~sedthe Pretoria Children's Art Centre and its affiliated teacher training programme. In 1940 she left the centre and travelled through the northern Transvaal visiting native schoo1s.l She was then hired as Art Inspectress for Cape Province Department of Education. In this capacity she inspeded provincial schools for white and Coloured children and established the Frank Joubert Art Centre in Cape Town.' Upon her return to Canada in 1946 she worked briefly for the National Gallery as a regiooal representative in Rince Edward Island and Northern Ontario. In 1948 she took up an appointment as the Executbe Secretary of the Saskatchewan Arts Board (SAB),' the first North Amencan Arts Board which was brought into being by the socialist election platform of the Co- operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) party and was based upon the mode1 of the then fiedgluig Arts Council of Great Britaid As the Executive Secretary, she was responsible for the coordination and delivery of SAB programmes. McCullough travelled to numerous small, remote, rural comrnunities, bringing art and craft exhibitions. magic lantem talks on art, film screenings, music concerts and dramatic productions. In 1956. McCullough left the Saskatchewan Arts Board to work as the Western Liaison Officer for the National Gallery of Canada. In this capacity she travelled to both large urban centres and small towns in Western Canada, bringing travelling exhibitions and speaking on art and the role of the National Gallery. ' Ibid., T. 2, S. 2. 16. ibid., 14. ' NGC, Norab McCullough File (hereafter NM File), vol. 1. Biographical Notes (1968), 2. ' N. Ward, "Saskatchewan: Cultural Life," in The Canadian Encydopedia (1985). 3 She completed her career by worieng in Ottawa curahg exhibitions, including a major survey of Canadian crafts for the National Art Gallery. McCullough was instrumental in the establishment of the Canadian Craftsmen of Canada Association (1964) and was the Canadian representative to the first World Congres of Craftsmen in 1964 at Columbia University in New ~ork.' After her retirement in 1968. Norah McCuilough began, at sixty-eight years of age, to work on a cataiome raisonné of the art of Arthur Lismer, a project which became an exhaustive fifteen year undertaking. Sadly, this project was never brought to completion. She died on August 9, 1993 having spent a lifetime as an arts interpreter and educatorS6 This thesis is an interpretive biography of the life of Norah McCuUough. It encompasses her early Me and education and her career from its beginning until her retirement from the National Gallery in 1968. lt begins an interpretation of the facts of Norah McCullough's life and career, considering the social tenets that formed the bais of her work. it is an interdisciplinary project, which encompasses research kom the disciplines of women's studies, art history, art education, history and cultural studies. "Bringing Art to the People" is the first comprehensive appraisal of the work and life of Norah McCullough, although numerous newspaper articles, some brief periodical essays and lengthy inte~ews ' NGC. NM File. vol. 1. Bio. Notes, 1. "GC. NM File, vol. 3, "1925 graduate of OCA: Norah McCuUough," Obituary. The Globe and -Maii ( 11 August 1993). on audio tapes outline many of the facts of Norah McCullough's life. This thesis is organized into four chapten, which parallel four phases of her life. The first chapter, 'The Foundation Years: Toronto 1927-1937," begins with McCulloughTsfamilial background and the development of her professional career. Norah McCullough's education, career choice, training and entry into the working world are considered in the context of women's history of the period. Her initial relationship to her mentor, Arthur Lismer, the nature of her work at the gailery and other enterprises are also described. These aspects of her life are described in relationship to Toronto,