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Artists Biography - Marion Nicoll
Marion Nicoll was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1909. Though she started out
working primarily in landscapes, she evolved into one of Alberta’s premier
abstract artists. A pioneer female artist in Alberta, Nicoll has influenced
countless Canadians through her work.
Between 1927-1929, Nicoll studied painting at the Ontario College of Art.
Following that, she enrolled at the Provincial
Institute of Technology and Art (now Alberta College of Art & Design),
where she studied under her mentor A.C. Leighton. Upon her
graduation in 1933, Nicoll received an instructor position in crafts and design at
the Institute. She taught there until 1940, and again between
1946-1966. She has the distinction of becoming the Institute’s first female
instructor.
In 1933, at a Calgary Sketch Club meeting, Marion was introduced to Jim Nicoll, an
accomplished artist. Jim was born in Fort Macleod in 1892, and
served in the First World War. Upon returning from the war, he graduated
from the University of Alberta with an engineering degree. While working as
an engineer, Jim always found time to express himself through painting. He
retired from engineering in 1956, and devoted the rest of his life to
painting.
Throughout her career, Marion Nicoll was involved in many artistic groups
and associations. In 1946, she became involved with the influential ‘Calgary
Group’ of painters that included Jack MacDonald and Maxwell Bates. She was
also a strong supporter and member of the
Alberta Society of Artists and the
Print and Drawing Council of Canada. In 1958, Nicoll had the great
opportunity to study in New York with American artist Will Barnet at Emma
Lake, soon after, she joined the Arts Students League of New York.
Nicoll’s art has been collected and awarded by many. She was rewarded with a
Canada Council Grant in 1959, and used this grant to study abroad. One year
later, she returned to Calgary, enriched with influences from many European
artists. In the late 1950s, Nicoll received the Province of Alberta
Achievement award and also became the first woman from the prairies to
become a member of the prestigious Royal Canadian Academy of Art. Her work
can be found in collections across Canada, including the Winnipeg Art
Gallery, the University of Alberta, and the
Memorial University in Newfoundland.
Sadly, Nicoll passed away in 1985 in Calgary, one year before her beloved
husband Jim. Her legacy continues in her painting, as well as through the
Marion Nicoll Gallery. This gallery is a student-run gallery, which exhibits
student’s work from the Alberta College of Art & Design. [Back][Top]
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