Dawn MacNutt is an artist and sculptor, from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Dawn’s work is most often inspired by her lifelong love of the human condition. …what she describes as ‘the beauty of human frailty’.

Being active for a long time, I have a long (and boring) resume with an exhibitions, commissions , publications and awards list I could only dream of thirty years ago. Moral of the story: hang in and keep the passion to do your work.

You can’t win if you don’t try

I joined close to the beginning of VANS…that would be the ‘70’s. I appreciated  the interaction with other artists and learning about opportunities  like exhibitions, open calls to commission competitions, sources of supply, commission calls, Canada Council Grants programs, and more recently, Provincial grants and awards. While we can’t be assured to succeed in all cases in these competitions, there is only one guarantee: you can’t win if you don’t try! I’ve been very fortunate through the years.

On reflection, it was fellow VANS members who nominated me for membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts.  Opportunities also arose from being published in the VANS magazines through the years.

VANS  AGM’s have always been convivial affairs, traditionally holding member exhibitions … usually inclusive; sometimes curated. The AGM has always provided the  opportunity to meet other artists face to face, to share food and have conversation.

Sculpture. derived from weaving.

Back in high school days, I sold Christmas cards door to door to support charcoal, pastel and water colour lessons. However while studying art at Mt. Allison University, weaving became my medium  of choice. The woven structure which provides a lot of negative as well as positive space became the technique of choice.

People are my main source of inspiration… and ancient art. Trees were influential in my earliest work, but almost always since then, it is human nature, posture, the beauty of human frailty that inspires me. Dance and movement inform some of my work. Ancient Greek sculpture. When studying in Greece, I was struck by the unconscious mimicry of museum visitors, standing beside marble statues.

As my mother used to say, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’.

I do believe that lack of resources can actually be a challenge worthy of overcoming. I recall creating a woven sculpture for the Federal Government in 1980 …’Aquamarine’, 14’ x 11’ x 1’ by weaving in a windowless basement space 7’x7’x7’. I first saw the whole work during the installation period…and it worked!

I consider myself fortunate throughout my 40 year working career as an artist. After lots of attempts, (don’t give up!),  I was granted a Senior Canada Council Creation Grant, as well as several smaller Canada Council Grants and Provincial Grants through the years. I’ve had 20 solo exhibitions, over a hundred group exhibitions locally and internationally and I’ve also been lucky in being selected for many commissions and collections. I’ve been published, had teaching and presentation opportunities, and feel honoured by the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal and a Doctorate degree from Mt.St.Vincent University for contributions to the Arts.

Creation is still paramount.

In 2010, I was privileged to be asked to create a sculpture for the 100th anniversary of the Children’s Hospital in Halifax in the Richard Goldbloom Centre. It is a 10.5’ bronze, patinated, painted, cast from woven willow. Then, in 2012, I was commissioned by the town of Sackville NB to create ‘Muse on the Marsh’, (alongside Kath Rutherford’s mosaic work).

Lately I’ve done a lot of mentoring with artists especially locally where I live. After agreeing to provide mentorship in the VANS programme, I became an advocate for the program as I now believe it is an extremely effective program. I always thought people chose their mentors, and still think this is a good idea. However, there remains a strong bond with Raina McDonald, my VANS ‘protegee’. I’m also convinced that the residencies of recent graduates from NSCADU  is a very positive program both for the young artists and for the Town of New Glasgow.

I no longer feel ambitious to compete for grants, residencies or commissions. It’s time to archive the work and focus on the body of work that stirs my passions.  I have another exhibition in me, and have a concept…but where and when  is not on my agenda. Creation is still paramount.