Doris McCarthy, LL. D. (July 7, 1910 – November 25, 2010) was a Canadian artist known for her abstracted landscapes. In a 2004 interview with Harold Klunder, the artist remarked:

I was influenced very strongly by the tradition of going out into nature and painting what was there. I bought it. And I still buy it.

Life and career

Born in

Calgary, Alberta Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...

, McCarthy attended the Ontario College of Art from 1926 to 1930, where she was awarded various scholarships and prizes. She became a teacher shortly thereafter and taught at Central Technical School in downtown Toronto from 1933 until she retired in 1972. She spent most of her life living and working in Scarborough (now a

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

district), Ontario, though she travelled abroad extensively and painted the landscapes of various countries, influenced by Lawren Harris's simplification of form. The countries she visited included:

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, and

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. McCarthy was nonetheless probably best known for her Canadian landscapes and her depictions of

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s - she began visiting the Arctic in 1972. In 1989, she graduated from the

University of Toronto Scarborough The University of Toronto Scarborough (abbreviated as U of T Scarborough or UTSC) is a division of the University of Toronto and one of its three campuses, located in the Scarborough, Ontario, Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

with a B.A. in English. McCarthy's work has been exhibited and collected extensively in Canada and abroad, in both public and private art galleries including: the

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, the

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; ) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Dundas Street, Dundas Street West in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, the museum complex takes up of phys ...

, The Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto Scarborough with over 200 of her works, and Wynick/Tuck Gallery. In 2004, she had a gallery named in her honour at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Doris McCarthy trail runs alongside Bellamy Ravine, connecting Bellehaven Crescent to Lake Ontario.

Death and legacy

She died on November 25, 2010.

Publications

McCarthy penned three autobiographies, chronicling the various stages of her life: ''A Fool in Paradise'' (Toronto: MacFarlane, Walter & Ross, 1990), ''The Good Wine'' (Toronto: MacFarlane, Walter & Ross, 1991), and ''Ninety Years Wise'' (Toronto: Second Story Press, 2004). She was made a member of 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 ...

Awards and honours

She was the recipient of the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the Advice (constitutional), advice of the Executive Council ...

, the

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, honorary degrees from the

University of Calgary {{Infobox university , name = University of Calgary , image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , former ...

, the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

Trent University Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Founded in 1964, the university is known for its Oxbridge college system, sma ...

, the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

, and

Nipissing University Nipissing University is a public university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The campus overlooks Lake Nipissing. History Northeastern University (1960–1967) The roots of Nipissing University date back to 1947, when residents of North B ...

, an honorary fellowship from the Ontario College of Art and Design.

References

External links

Primary gallery representativeDoris McCarthy Gallery at University of Toronto Scarboroughpassagesart.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCarthy, Doris 1910 births 2010 deaths Members of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Ontario Canadian women painters Artists from Calgary Canadian autobiographers Canadian women non-fiction writers Writers from Calgary University of Toronto alumni Canadian women centenarians Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Canadian women autobiographers