Watercolour Painting by Mackie Cryderman is Donated to The Department of Visual Arts
This summer, Dr. Lyn Shulha, Professor Emerita of Queens University, generously donated a watercolour by Mackie Cryderman to the Department of Visual Arts. Through oral history, it is understood that Mackie gifted the floral still life to Dr. Shulha’s parents, Dorothy and William (Bill) Vize of London, ON, as a wedding gift in 1947. The painting remained in their family home until their passing in August 2020 and February 2022. Upon donating the artwork to the Department of Visual Arts, Dr. Shulha noted, “given my family’s and Mackie’s connections to London and my connection to Western (Education, ’73), my preference was to offer the painting to your department. I was especially excited when I saw that your department offers an award for excellence in the arts in Mackie’s name!”
The Mackie Cryderman Award for Excellence in Visual Arts is awarded annually to students enrolled in Years 2, 3 or 4 in a Bachelor of Fine Arts program in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities who demonstrate creative excellence and potential in Visual Arts.
Mackie Cryderman studied at the Winnipeg School of Art and the Ontario College of Art with several members from the Group of Seven. She created the vocational art department at the H.B. Beal Technical School in London, Ontario (currently known as H.B. Beal Secondary School). She also taught at Western University and Fanshawe College. Mackie Cryderman was an accomplished artist in a variety of media, working in watercolour, oil, metal and leather, as well as pursuits in jewelry making, graphic design and carving. Mackie died in 1969 at the age of 73.
