Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Toronto invites you to visit the exhibition
"Opened door. Mary Hister Reid and Helen McNicholl ".
Mary Hister Reid (1854–1921) and Helen McNicholl (1879–1915) were two of the first women to succeed as professional artists. Although opportunities for women were limited in the late 1800s and early 1900s, both Hister Reid and McNicholl went overseas to study art, eventually returning to Canada with their own styles. This exhibition, which combines works from the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario with key credits, provides a focused look at the progressive careers of these turn-of-the-century artists.
In an era when social norms dictated formality, their paintings publicly touched family life and femininity in complex ways, radically expanding traditional views of women's spaces and women's opportunities to pursue careers as professional artists in an era of blatant gender discrimination.
Based on site materials
Ontario Art Gallery.