Christian McKiel (September 27, 1889 – December 12, 1978) was a Canadian artist and educator.

Life and career

The daughter of Emma Ives Harris and Joseph Simpson Harris, county sheriff, and sister of Margaret Harris, she was born Christian Harris in

Pictou, Nova Scotia Pictou ( ; Canadian Gaelic: ''Baile Phiogto'' Miꞌkmawiꞌsimk: ''Piktuk'') is a town in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Pictou County, in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pict ...

. She received a teaching diploma in drawing and a Drawing Certificate from the Ladies' College at

Mount Allison University Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MtA) is a Canadian primarily undergraduate liberal arts university located in Sackville, New Brunswick, founded in 1839. Mount Allison was the first university in the British Empire to award a baccal ...

in 1911. From 1911 to 1912, McKiel pursued further studies at the

Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may study f ...

. She returned to Sackville in 1913 to teach in the fine arts department at Mount Allison University after the resignation of Sarah (Stewart) Hart. She was an integral in the development of the craft program at the university. During her three decades teaching at Mount Allison University, she conducted classes in drawing, pottery, china painting and general painting. She married Harry McKiel, later dean of science at the university, in 1917. Beginning in 1920, she took classes with

Frank DuMond Frank Vincent DuMond (August 20, 1865 – February 6, 1951) was one of the most influential teacher-painters in 20th-century America. He was an illustrator and American Impressionist painter of portraits and landscapes, and a prominent teach ...

Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...

over three summers and with

Charles Webster Hawthorne Charles Webster Hawthorne (January 8, 1872 – November 29, 1930) was an American portrait and genre painter and a noted teacher who founded the Cape Cod School of Art in 1899. He was born in Lodi, Illinois, and his parents returned to Maine, ...

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during another summer. She also studied pottery with Kjeld and Erica Deichmann at their studio. Pottery was added to the department's curriculum in the fall of 1938 and taught by McKiel. In 1937, she acted as consultant to Mount Allison University President George Trueman around the production of blueprints of looms for use in summer programs in adult education at the school. In 1938, she became head of the Applied Arts department at Mount Allison University. McKiel was also the first woman in the Art Department at the university to receive the title of 'Assistant Professor'. She retired from teaching in May of 1949, and earned the title of 'Professor Emeritus' in 1950. In 1954, McKiel presented an honorary degree to Elizabeth McLeod, her former teacher and colleague, in recognition of her dedication to art education for women. She exhibited with the Nova Scotia Society of Artists, the

Maritime Art Association The Maritime Art Association (1935–1945) was a Canadian regional alliance of art clubs and societies, public schools, universities, social organizations, service and civic groups, artists, art students and art appreciators. As the first organi ...

, the

Art Association of Montreal The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square Mile stretch of Sherbrooke Street west. The MMFA ...

, the

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Victoria of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria on 16 ...

and the British Empire Society of Arts. She was also a member of the Canadian Society of Painters, Etchers and Engravers. McKiel died in Sackville at the age of 89.

Collections

* Art Gallery of Nova Scotia * Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University * Beaverbrook Art Gallery * Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKiel, Christian 1889 births 1978 deaths 20th-century Canadian women artists Mount Allison University alumni Academic staff of Mount Allison University