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MACLEOD, Pegi Nicol
- Born
- Listowel, Ontario, 1904
- Died
- New York, United States, 1949
- Biography synopsis
- Margaret Kathleen "Pegi" Nicol MacLeod was born in Listowel, Ontario in 1904 and studied painting at the Ottawa Art Association under Franklin Brownell. From 1923 to 1924 MacLeod continued her studies at the École de Beaux-Arts in Montreal. During this time she won five medals for her exceptional work. Her first paintings were mainly portraits and landscapes. In 1931 she won the Willingdon prize for the landscape “The Long Run.” The same year she held a solo exhibition at the Lysle Courtenay Studios on Sparks Street, which included mostly landscapes and some portraits. In 1932 she held her first solo show at Montreal at Eaton’s. In 1936 she became member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour and one year after she joined the Canadian Group of Painters. In 1937 she married Norman MacLeod and the couple settled in New York. The city rush and events represented new subject material that she transformed into color and movement. “The Manhattan Cycle” was an important series that she produced during this time. MacLeod’s work was exhibited in several major shows in Canada and abroad, including "Artists of the British Empire Overseas"; Royal Institute Galleries, London, England; Canadian Water Colours, Gloucester, England (1939); Pintura Canadense Contemporanea, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo (1944); Canadian War Art (1945), among many others. Pegi Nicol MacLeod and Lucy Jarvis established the Observatory Art Centre in 1942, which later was attached to Fredericton’s University of New Brunswick. From 1940 to 1948, MacLeod conducted classes at the summer school of the University. In the last years of World War II she was commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada to paint the women’s division of the Canadian Armed forces. Her works are part of important private and public collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Beaverbrook Gallery, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, among others.
- Media used
- Painting
- Watercolour
- Education
- Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Montreal, 1923 - 1924 (under Marian Scott & Lilian Freiman)
- Memberships
- Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, 1936
- Canadian Group of Painters, 1937
- File & Archive locations
- National Gallery of Canada, ON - Library and Archives
- Art Gallery of Ontario - Edward P. Taylor Research Library and Archives
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- University of Waterloo Library, ON
- Canadian Women Artists History Initiative Documentation Centre, QC
- Lisgar Collegiate Institute, ON
- John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, NY
- Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, QC
- Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, NY
- Alberta Culture and Community Spirit - Arts Branch
- Hamilton Public Library, ON - Local History and Archives Department
- Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, ON
- London Public Library, ON
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, QC
- Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, QC - Media Centre
- University of British Columbia - Fine Arts Library
- University of Calgary Library, AB
- Vancouver Art Gallery, BC - Library
- Winnipeg Art Gallery, MA - Clara Lander Library
- University of New Brunswick - Archives and Special Collections Department
- Canadian Museum of Civilization Archives, QC
- University of Guelph, ON - Archival & Special Collections
- Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
Writings about- " ... Group Shows at Art Association." Gazette (Montreal) 5 Jan. 1946
- "'Pigeons' and 'School in a Garden' - Pegi Nicol." Northern Review 3.3 (Feb.-Mar. 1950): 28-9
- "59 Paintings Auctioned for Refugees' Benefit Bring Total of $2459." Ottawa Citizen 4 Oct. 1940
- "Anciens élèves des beaux-arts réunis en une association." La Patrie (Montreal) 13 May 1929
- "Art Exhibit Discussed: Private Showing Given Members of Windsor Association." Windsor Star 1 Dec. 1942
- "At the Galleries: Manhattan Cycle Scenes Fascinate After Study." Telegram (Toronto) 19 Apr. 1947
- "Brillante fête artistique à l'école des beaux-arts." Le Canada (Montreal) 24 May 1924: 10
- "Exhibit Paintings of Pegi Nichol." Ottawa Citizen 24 Jul. 1931
- "Exhibition of Art by Canadian Women." Canadian Art 4.2 (Feb-Mar. 1947): 80
- "Exhibition of the Canadian Group of Painters." Canadian Art (Jan-Feb. 1948): 142
- "For the third time the Produced in Canada Exhibition ..." Montrealer 1 Nov. 1937
- "Governor-General Arts Competition Results Announced." Montreal Star 4 May 1929
- "La Galérie Eaton: L'exposition des artistes de la province de Québec." La Patrie (Montreal) 21 Oct. 1927: 14
- "Learning to Understand Pictures." Ottawa Morning Journal 16 Jan. 1926
- "Literature & Art." Ottawa Outlook 18 Jan. 1934
- "Miss Peggy Nicoll, Artist, Sherbrooke Street, Montreal." Herald (Montreal) ? Apr. 1932
- "Murals Offer Opportunity To Record Canada at War." Ottawa Evening Journal 12 Aug. 1940
- "New Work of Art in Vocational School." Carleton Sentinel 22 Jan. 1942
- "Notable Pictures by Ottawa Artist: Pegi Nichol Works Brightness and Pattern Into 'Amateur Hockey'." Ottawa Morning Journal 3 Mar. 1934
- "Oil Paintings Now on Display Here." Times-Globe (Saint John) 2 Nov. 1943
- "Open Exhibition at Arts School." Gazette (Montreal) 24 May 1924
- "Pegi Nichol." Ottawa Citizen 17 Mar. 1933
- "Pegi Nicol's Landscapes And Portraits." Star (Montreal) 17 Feb. 1932
- "Pegi Nicol." Canadian Forum 15.179 ( Dec. 1935): 390
- "R.C.A. Impressions." Ottawa Citizen 4 May 1929
- "School of Fine Arts is Opened: Provincial Sec'y, French Consul-General and Others Give Awards." Montreal Daily Star 24 May 1924
- "The Passionate Snow of Yesteryear." Canadian Forum 16.183 (Apr. 1936): 21
- "Une association d'anciens des beaux-arts." Le Canada (Montreal) 13 May 1929: 130
- "Vivacious Artist." Toronto Saturday Night (9 Feb. 1935)
- "With Trilliums in Her Hair." Canadian Art 4.4 (Summer 1947): 147-8
- "Women's Works on Exhibit." Standard (Montreal) 2 Apr. 1949
- Abell, Walter ed. "Fredericton Art Club." Maritime Art (Oct. 1940): 27
- Anderson, Janice. Creating Room: Canadian Women Mural Painters and Rereadings of the Public and the Private Montreal: Concordia University, 2002
- Art Gallery of Toronto. Fifty Years of Painting in Canada Toronto: Art Gallery of Toronto, 1949
- Art Gallery of Toronto. Mabel Lockerby, Pegi Nicol Macleod, Kathleen Morris, Marian Scott Toronto: Art Gallery of Toronto, 1941
- Asselin, Hedwidge, ed. Indédits de John Lyman Montreal: Ministère des Affaires culturelles, Biblio. nationale Québec, 1980
- Ayre, Robert. "The Canadian Group of Painters." Canadian Art 6.3 (Spring 1949): 98-102
- Ayre, Robert. "Toronto Honors memory of Artist; Exhibition of Thomson Paintings Includes Loans of Principal Work." Standard (Montreal) 1941
- Barbeau, M. Marius. "La Délivrance des Loups-Garous." La Presse 4 Mar. 1933
- Barbeau, M. Marius. "Légende Française du Laurent." La Presse (Montreal) 7 Jan. 1933
- Boutilier, Alicia & Tobi Bruce. The Artist Herself : Self-portraits by Canadian Historical Women Artists / L'artiste elle-meme : autoportraits de femmes artistes au Canada Kingston, ON: Agnes Etherinton Art Centre. Hamilton: Art Gallery Hamilton, 2015
- Boutilier, Alicia Anna, et al. Inspirational : The Collection of H.S. Southam Hamilton, Ontario: Art Gallery of Hamilton, 2009
- Brandon, Laura. Exploring the undertheme: the self-portraits of Pegi Nicol MacLeod, 1904-1949 Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1993
- Brandon, Laura. Pegi By Herself: the life of Pegi Nicol MacLeod, Canadian artist Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2005
- Buchanan, Donald. (Essay reprinted from Canadian Art 6, Summer 1949:158-162) Pegy Nicol MacLeod: Memorial Exhibition Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1949
- Buchanan, Donald W. "Pegi Nicol MacLeod 1904-1949." Canadian Art 6.4 (Summer 1949): 158-162
- Buchanan, Donald W. "Pegi Nicol MacLeod 1904-1949: By Donal W. Buchanan in Canadian Art." Ottawa Citizen 18 Jul. 1949
- Canadian Group of Painters. Canadian Group of Painters, Exhibition 1942 Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1942
- Canadian Group of Painters. Canadian Group of Painters, Exhibition 1960 Montreal: 1960
- Canadian Group of Painters. Canadian Group of Painters, Exhibition 1961 Vancouver: 1961
- Canadian War Museum. Paragraphs in Paint: The Second World War Art of Pegi Nicol MacLeod Ottawa: Canadian War Museum, 1998
- Carleton University Art Gallery. Pegi Nicol MacLeod: A Life in Art Ottawa: Carleton University Art Gallery, 1999
- Caughlin, Grace A. "Woodstock's Reaction to Murals." Maritime Art 2.2 (Dec. 1941)
- Conde, Valérie. "Women at War." Daily Star (Windsor) 24 Feb. 1945
- Doyon, Charles. "La peinture feminine." Le Clairon (Sainte-Hyacinthe) ?
- E. G. "Canadian Group Exhibit is Open." Standard (Montreal) 8 Jan. 1944
- Forster. Michael. "Mary Filer, Pegi Nicol Exhibitions Planned." Standard (Montreal) 16 Sept. 1950
- Gessell, Paul. "The Remarkable Life of a Bohemian Ottawa Artist." Citizen's Weekly (6 Feb. 2005)
- Gillis, Raina-Clair. "Artistic Impressions of War." Canadian Military Journal 6.3 (Autumn 2005): 75-80
- Harper, J. Russell. "Pegi Nicol MacLeod: A Maritime Artist." Dalhousie Review 43.1 (Spring 1963)
- Hicklin, R. C. "Pegi Nicol MacLeod - Painter." Hilltop 1.1 (Apr. 1948)
- Hill, Charles. Canadian Painting in the Thirties Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1975
- Hudson, Anna. Art and social progress: the Toronto community of painters,1933-1950 Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1997
- Huot, Maurice. "Peintres féminins." La Patrie (Montreal) 6 Apr. 1949: 16
- Karlinsky, Amy. "Pegi Nicol MacLeod." Border Crossings 24.3 (Aug. 2005): 93
- Luckyj, Natalie. Visions and Victories: 10 Canadian Women Artists 1914-1945 London: London Regional Art Gallery, 1983
- 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
- Macleod, Pegi Nicol. [Woodcut by Pegi Nichol] Canadian Geographical Journal 7 (Dec. 1933): 260
- Mawr, David. "Canadian Group of Painters Exhibit Opens." Windsor Daily Star 14 May 1949
- McInnes, G. Campbell. "Contemporary Canadian Artists, No. 8 -- Pegi Nicol." Canadian Forum 17.200 (Sept. 1937): 202
- McInnes, G. Campbell. "World of Art." Toronto Saturday Night (14 Dec. 1935)
- McInnes, G. Campbell. “World of Art.” Saturday Night (18 Jan. 1936): 4
- McInnes, Graham. "Art and Artists: Two Local Boys Made Good." Toronto Saturday Night (11 Jan. 1941)
- McInnes, Graham. "Artist of the Wayward Brush." Ottawa Citizen 14 Feb. 1949
- McInnes, Graham. "Canadian Group of Painters." Canadian Art 3.2 (Jan-Feb. 1946): 76
- McLeod, Ellen. "Who Was Pegi Nicol MacLeod? Glebe resident Laura Brandon launches biography and art exhibition a Carleton University Art Gallery." Glebe Report (Ottawa) 1 Feb. 2005
- Milroy, Sarah, ed. Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Movement Vancouver: Figure 1, 2021
- Murray, Joan. Daffodils in Winter: The Life and Letters of Pegi Nicol MacLeod, 1904-1949 Moonbeam, Ontario: Penumbra Press, 1984
- Museu nacional de belas artes. Pintura Canadense Contemporarnea Rio De Janeiro: Museu nacional de belas artes, 1944
- National Council of Women of Canada. Canadian Women Artists' Exhibition, Sponsored by Local Council of Women of Kitchener Kitchener: Canadian Arts Council and Department of External Affairs, 1947
- National Council of Women of Canada. Canadian Women Artists, Sponsored by National Council of Women of Canada and National Council of Women of the U.S New York: Riverside Museum, 1947
- National Council of Women of Canada. Femmes peintres canadiennes: Expositions présentée par le conseil national des femmes canadiennes 1947
- National Gallery of Canada. Memorial exhibition, Pegi Nicol MacLeod, 1904-1949 Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1949
- Niergarth, Kirk. ""What Would He Have Us Do?" Gender and the "Profession" of Artist in New Brunswick in the 1930s and 1940s." Rethinking Professionalism. Ed. Kristina Huneault and Janice Anderson Montreal, QC: McGill-Queens Press, 2012
- Normand, Renée. "Les Arts: A la West End Art Gallery se tient présentement une exposition de femmes peintres canadiens." Le Canada (Montreal) 19 Apr. 1949
- Ostroff, Michael [director]. Pegi Nicol: something dancing about her [videorecording] Montreal: National Film Board of Canada, 2005
- Pfeiffer, Dorothy. "Pegi Nichol MacLeod." Gazette (Montreal) 7 Mar. 1964
- R. B. F. "Keenly Admire Display of Art." Ottawa Journal 17 Mar. 1933
- Reichwein, P. and K. Wall. Uplift: Visual Culture at the Banff School of Fine Arts Banff: Banff School of Fine Arts, 2020
- Royal Gallery. Pegi Nicol MacLeod, 1904-1949: Retrospective Exhibition Montreal: Royal Gallery, 1964
- Smith, Stuart Allen. Pegi Nicol MacLeod Fredericton, New Brunswick: Gallery 78, 1981
- Trepanier, Esther and Landry, Pierre. Femmes artistes du XXe siecle au Quebec: Oeuvres du Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec Quebec, Quebec: Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec, 2010.
- University of New Brunswick Art Centre. Pegi Nicol MacLeod Exhibition Fredericton: University of New Brunswick Art Centre, 1962
- University of New Brunswick Art Centre. Pegi Nicol Month Fredericton: University of New Brunswick Art Centre, 1981
Writings by- MacLeod, Pegi Nichol (Nicol). "Adventure in Murals." Maritime Art 2.2 (Dec. 1941)
- MacLeod, Pegi Nichol (Nicol). [Illustrations: Decorations by Pegi Nichol Macleod] Canadian Nation 2.2 (May-Jun. 1929): 3,5,18
- MacLeod, Pegi Nichol (Nicol). [Illustrations: Decorations by Pegi Nichol] Canadian Nation 2.1 (Mar-Apr. 1929): 3,15
- MacLeod, Pegi Nichol (Nicol). [Illustrations: Decorations by Pegi Nichol] Canadian Nation 1.2 (Apr. 1928)
- MacLeod, Pegi Nicol. "Five O'Clock [Illustration]." Canadian Forum 16.189 (Oct. 1936): 17
- MacLeod, Pegi Nicol. "Fredericton." Canadian Art 1.1 (Oct. 1943): 35
- MacLeod, Pegi Nicol. "Merry Christmas." Canadian Forum 16.191 (Dec. 1936): 13
- MacLeod, Pegi Nicol. "Recording the Women's Services." Canadian Art 2.2 (Dec. 1949): 48-51
- MacLeod, Pegi Nicol. "Rouault. By Edward Alden Jewell. New York: Hyperion Press [Review]." Canadian Art 10.2 (Feb-Mar. 1947): 83
- MacLeod, Pegi Nicol. "Where Forgotten Gods Sleep." Canadian National 17.1 (Mar. 1931): 25