Field: Arts & Culture

Lee Maracle, an award-winning writer and esteemed mentor, is renowned for her powerful writing and lifelong advocacy against Indigenous oppression in Canada. Interweaving traditional Indigenous stories with modern tales, her diverse literary repertoire includes novels, poetry, short story collections, and collaborative anthologies that skillfully blend prose, fiction, non-fiction, myth, and memoir. Through her work, Maracle sheds light on the experiences of Indigenous women within the context of North American feminism, emphasizing her approach of “decolonizing in the feminine.” Her groundbreaking debut, the autobiographical novel “Bobbi Lee: Indian Rebel” (1975, 1990), holds historical significance as one of the first Indigenous works published in Canada, cementing her influential legacy as a groundbreaking Indigenous writer and storyteller.

As one of Canada’s visionaries and most-published Indigenous authors, Maracle’s legacy lives on through the pages of over 15 literary works.

Margaret Atwood has penned an impressive array of over fifty books encompassing fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Her novels, such as the renowned “The Handmaid’s Tale” (1985) and “Alias Grace” (1996), have earned her international acclaim for their thought-provoking narratives. Atwood’s illustrious career has garnered numerous awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Franz Kafka Prize, PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award, and Dayton Literary Peace Prize. In 2019, her literary contributions were further recognized with her induction into the Order of the Companions of Honour. She also holds the distinction of being a founder of the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Beyond her literary prowess, Atwood has showcased her talents as a versatile cartoonist, illustrator, librettist, playwright, and puppeteer.

Atwood’s legacy as a visionary writer, cultural influencer, and champion of literature and the arts has left an indelible mark on the world.

Min Sook Lee has directed numerous critically-acclaimed works including the Gemini-winning Tiger Spirit, Hot Docs’ Best Canadian Feature winner Hogtown, Gemini-nominated El Contrato, and the Canadian Screen Award-winning The Real Inglorious Bastards. Lee’s exceptional contributions have garnered her prestigious accolades such as the Cesar E. Chavez Black Eagle Award and the Alanis Obomsawin Award for Commitment to Community and Resistance. Mayworks, Canada’s oldest labour arts festival, even named the Min Sook Lee Labour Arts Award in her honour. As an Associate Professor at OCAD University, Lee’s area of research and practice focuses on the critical intersections of art and social change in labour, border politics, migration, and social justice movements.

Lee’s impactful work continues to inspire and spark meaningful conversations.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Jennifer Hodge de Silva made a significant impact on the Canadian film industry. Notably, she holds the distinction of being the first Black filmmaker to consistently collaborate with both the National Film Board and the CBC. De Silva’s acclaimed body of documentary work focused on social issues. Her film Home Feeling: A Struggle for Community (1983), co-directed with Robert McTair, has become a staple in film studies programs across Canada. In 1982, she married fellow filmmaker Paul de Silva, and together they established the production company Jenfilms Inc.

Hodge de Silva’s commitment to storytelling and representation broke barriers in the Canadian filmmaking industry and serves as an inspiration for aspiring filmmakers seeking to make a meaningful difference through their art.

As the first woman elected as an officer and as a fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and the first woman (and first Canadian) to serve as president of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Blanche Lemco van Ginkel made a name for herself in the male-dominated fields of architecture and planning. In 1952 she and her husband co-founded van Ginkel Associates, where she contributed her bright and innovative ideas to numerous projects across the globe. As a professor at University of Toronto and McGill University she nurtured future generations of architects.

Lemco van Ginkel’s visionary approach and commitment to sustainable development contributed to the shaping of Toronto’s landscape for generations to come.

After completing a Masters in Art History at Harvard University, Jeanne Parkin began her career as Head of Circulating Exhibitions and Adult Education at the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario) in 1947. At the gallery, she would join the Women’s Committee, an all women’s volunteer group that worked tirelessly to fundraise and help the gallery build a significant collection of art works. Parkin’s career would lead her to working on large scale public art projects around the city, like Art in the Subway in 1974.

Eventually Parkin established her own company, Jeanne Parkin Arts Management Ltd., where she aided private corporations and institutions in building their own art collections and launching arts-based initiatives.

Jackie Shane rose to prominence in Toronto during the 1960s as a talented R&B singer. Her electrifying performances captivated audiences and challenged societal norms. She became a beloved figure in the Toronto music scene, performing at renowned venues like the Sapphire Tavern. Despite stepping away from the limelight in the 1970s, Shane’s influence endured, inspiring future generations of 2SLGBTQ+ artists.

Her lasting impact on Toronto lies in her fearless authenticity and the profound way she reshaped perceptions of gender and identity through her music.

Born in Guangzhou, China, Gar Yin Hune was exposed to Cantonese opera early on in her life through live performances at her father’s tea houses. She joined an opera company and traveled to North America in 1938, sponsored by the Chinese Freemasons. Her troupe performed in Chinatowns across Canada, providing a space for Chinese communities to gather and express themselves freely in a segregated society. Settling in Toronto during World War II, she was drawn to the city’s vibrant Chinatown, where she could find a sense of belonging and opportunity.

Hune’s resilience and cultural contributions inspired and enriched the fabric of Toronto’s Chinatown.

Karen Kain joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1969 at the age of 18 as a member of the Corps de Ballet and quickly rose to become one of its most celebrated Principal Dancers. Her exceptional talent captivated audiences internationally and she became known as one of the best classical dancers of her time. In 2005 she was appointed Artistic Director of the National Ballet, a position she would hold until 2021 making her the longest serving Artistic Director since the National Ballet’s founder, Celia Franca.

Kain’s commitment to artistic excellence, nurturing emerging talent, and expanding the reach of ballet has elevated the city’s cultural landscape, ensuring a legacy of dance that will inspire generations to come.

Frances Loring, a leading sculptor of 20th-century Canada, exhibited a versatile artistic talent spanning architectural designs to war monuments. Originally hailing from the United States, Loring and her lifelong partner Florence Wyle made a lasting impact in Toronto after their arrival in 1913. Their home and studio became a hub for Toronto’s arts community for nearly five decades. During World War I, Loring was commissioned by the Canadian War Records to sculpt industrial workers on the home front. Her illustrious career included membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, a founding role in the Sculptors Society of Canada, and representation at the 1960 Venice Biennale.

Today, Torontonians are reminded of Loring’s remarkable legacy as her lion sculpture in the Queen Elizabeth Way Monument (1939) watches over the city.