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ZWICKER, Mary Marguerite Porter
- Born
- Pleasant Valley, Nova Scotia, 1904
- Died
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1993
- Biography synopsis
- Known for her scenes of Nova Scotia villages and landscapes rendered in watercolours, Marguerite Zwicker was an active promoter of art in and around Halifax. Her education took place at the Nova Scotia College of Art and in the United States under the German-American Abstract Expressionist painter, Hans Hofmann, whom she greatly admired. A teacher of painting at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Zwicker also conducted painting and cultural tours in Spain, Italy and Portugal. Her travels in these countries are expanded upon in her book, "On My Own," published in 1959. In 1957, she, along with fellow-artist and husband, Leroy, took over ownership of Zwicker's Gallery, at the time the only venue in Halifax that regularly featured art exhibitions open to the public. A member of the Nova Scotia Society of Artists, Zwicker exhibited with this association, as well as participating in several group shows at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, including an exhibit with her husband in 1958. A solo show followed many years later, in 1991, at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
- Media used
- Artists' illustrated books
- Watercolour
- Education
- Nova Scotia College of Art
- Private study (under Hans Hofmann)
- Memberships
- Nova Scotia Society of Artists
- File & Archive locations
- Winnipeg Art Gallery, MA - Clara Lander Library
- Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
- London Public Library, ON
- National Gallery of Canada, ON - Library and Archives
- Art Gallery of Ontario - Edward P. Taylor Research Library and Archives
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, QC
- Artexte Information Centre, QC - Documentation Centre
- Canadian Women Artists History Initiative Documentation Centre, QC
- Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, ON
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
Writings about- "Arts Promoter Zwicker Dies." Daily News (Halifax) 25 Sep. 1993: 21
- "Spring Exhibition of Art Association was Opened on Thursday." Toronto Star 12 Mar. 1933
- "Spring Exhibition of the Art Association of Montreal." Toronto Star 22 Mar. 1933
- "Watercolor Painting up for Raffle." Daily News (Halifax) 27 Feb. 1991: 2
- Art Association of Montreal. Catalogue of the Fiftieth Annual Spring Exhibition, 1933 Montreal: Art Association of Montreal, 1933
- Art Association of Montreal. Catalogue of the Fifty-Third Spring Exhibition Montreal: Art Association of Montreal, 1936
- Canadian Library Association. Canadian Biographies: Artists and Authors Ottawa: Canadian Library Association, 1951
- Cronin, Ray. Halifax Art and Artists: An Illustrated History Toronto: Art Institute of Canada, 2023
http://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/halifax-art-and-artists/ - Dalhousie Art Gallery. A Gentler Time: English and Canadian Watercolour Landscapes and Other Works on Paper from the Dorothy Ward Bequest Halifax: 1998
- Dalhousie Art Gallery. Back to the Land: Early 20th Century Landscapes in the Permanent Collection Halifax: 2001
- Dalhousie Art Gallery. Exhibition of Paintings, Watercolours by Marguerite Zwicker and Leroy Zwicker Halifax: 1958
- Halifax City Hall. Diamond Jubilee: Nova Scotia Society of Artists Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 1997
- Hashey, Mary W., ed. Maritime Artists Vol. 1 Fredericton: Maritime Art Association, 1967
- Kelly, Gemey. Backgrounds: Ten Nova Scotia Women Artists Halifax: Dalhousie Art Gallery, 1984
- Koehler-Vanderfraaf, Marie. Marguerite Zwicker: Watercolours Halifax: Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 1991
- MacDonald, Colin S. The Dictionary of Canadian Artists. (Volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker) Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2009
- Maritime Art Association. Paintings by Artists of the Maritime Provinces Wolfville: Maritime Art Association, 1935
- Maritime Art Association. Paintings by Artists of the Maritime Provinces Halifax: Maritime Art Association, 1939-1940
- Maritime Art Association. Paintings by Artists of the Maritimes: Seventh Annual Exhibition Halifax: Maritime Art Association, 1942
- McKendry, Blake. A to Z of Canadian Art: Artists and Art Terms Kingston: B. McKendry, 1997
- McMann, Evelyn de Rostaing. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Formerly Art Association of Montreal: Spring Exhibitions, 1880-1970 Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1988
- McMann, Evelyn de Rostaing. Royal Canadian Academy of Arts/Académie royale des arts du Canada: Exhibitions and Members 1880-1979 Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1981
- Paikowsky, Sandra. Nova Scotian Pictures: Art in Nova Scotia, 1940-1966 Halifax: Dalhousie University Art Gallery, 1994
- Public Archives of Nova Scotia. Report of the Board of Trustees of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia Halifax: 1930
- Robson, Scott. Nova Scotia Women Artists in the Collection of Tony Saulnier Halifax: Dalhousie University Art Gallery, 1993
- Senn, R. "Zwickers: Halifax Art's Royal Couple." Atlantic Insight 4 (Apr. 1982): 60-1
- Soucy, Donald. "More Than a Polite Pursuit: Art College Education for Women in Nova Scotia 1887-1930s." Art Education 42.2 (Mar. 1989): 23-40
- Tippett, Maria. By a Lady Toronto: Viking, 1992
Writings by- Zwicker, Mary Marguerite Porter. On My Own 1959
Full text pdfs of exhibition reviews- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 16, 1933) "Spring Exhibition of Art Association Was Opened on Thursday." Montreal Star March 17, 1933. p.19. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 16, 1933) "50th Spring Show Opened to Public. Jury Shows Open Mind. From Over 1,000 Entries, 543 Works Representative of Various Schools Have Been Selected." Gazette (Montreal) March 17, 1933. p.6. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 16, 1933) "Spring Exhibition of the Art Association of Montreal" Montreal Star March 22, 1933. 17. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 16, 1933) Yves Lemieux. "Le 50e Salon du Printemps." Le Devoir April 08, 1933. p.2. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, April 15, 1934) "Art Association Spring Show Opens. Private View Inaugurates Exhibition Containing Over Five Hundred Works." Gazette (Montreal) April 20, 1934. p.17. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, April 15, 1934) "Fifty-First Spring Exhibition of the Art Association." Montreal Star April 20, 1934. p.15. Full-text pdf
- Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition.: (Montreal, November 21, 1935) "The Fifty-Sixth Exhibition of the Canadian Academy." Montreal Star November 22, 1935. p.13. Full-text pdf
- Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition.: (Montreal, November 21, 1935) "Art Gallery Scene of R.C.A. Exhibition. Paintings and Other Works from Various Canadian Points Total 444. Much Good Portraiture." Gazette (Montreal) November 23, 1935. p.19. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 19, 1936) "Spring Exhibition on Generous Scale. Show at Art Gallery Opened Last Night Contains 621 Items." Gazette (Montreal) March 20, 1936. p.2. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 19, 1936) "Annual Spring Exhibition at Art Association." Montreal Star March 20, 1936. p.8. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 18, 1937) "Nearly 500 Works at Spring Exhibit. Art Association's 54th Annual Show Opens with Private Views. Judges Open-Minded." Gazette (Montreal) March 19, 1937. p.13,17. Full-text pdf
- Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 18, 1937) "The Spring Exhibition of the Art Association." Montreal Star March 19, 1937. p.17. Full-text pdf
