Margaret Nicholson is a graduate architect and multidisciplinary artist born in New Glasgow, NS. She has lived, worked and exhibited across Canada in solo and group shows at public, private and parallel galleries and has been the recipient of grants from the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Nova Scotia Arts Council. Her work is part of the public collections of the Province of Nova Scotia, City of Ottawa, the Canada Council Art Bank, and the Museum of Industry, Stellarton, NS. She is currently living in New Glasgow and teaching in the Art Department at St. F. X. University.

the idea determines the medium
I am a multidisciplinary artist using drawing, illustration, sculpture, satire, painting, installation, and the written word.  The root of my work, regardless of form, is the narrative, often investigating ideas of place and home, memory and experience.  Current work has developed a habit of documentation, a specificity, a need for numbers, dates seeking to find limits in the investigation of an idea, a possibility of control if not understanding. The idea determines the medium and I am interested in the vocabulary of different materials.

where the edges of the ideas meet
I’ve been working and exhibiting for almost forty years and it’s hard work for which you are barely paid. Painting sales are less common than requests for favours or donations. Having said that, I must admit my marketing skills are limited and I have yet to gain an online presence.

I gave up the idea of selling in favour of the exploration of ideas and mediums many years ago.  It would be nice to have both but not making art for the marketplace is very freeing.  Art became the limits of my own imagination and energy. Regardless, I am still attracted to the physical beauty found in an artwork although, being of a subversive nature, I’m always looking for the other agenda. I am also interested in the tensions where the edges of the ideas meet.  

Because the projects I do are large, it sometimes takes years for them to get off the ground and there are moments of futility. I feel fortunate in that I never seem to have a shortage of ideas or projects.

providing a supportive structure
I joined VANS to gain access to the community of artists.  VANS as professional organization, by and for artists, understands the needs and aims of the visual arts and provides a supportive structure for the arts community. I also was a member of the VANS board for four years and gained valuable experience.  VANS provides a comprehensive overview of what is happening in the visual arts in eastern Canada and that allows artists to see what’s happening even if they can’t get to the shows.  Concrete information about where to apply for shows, workshops on grant applications, websites, etc. are very valuable for anyone trying to make their way in the arts. You meet new and exciting people.

some recent work
The Art of Protest – Antigonight, Antigonish, NS, 2018.
This had a subtitle of “Anger Rage, and Playful Innuendo” It was a retrospective of satirical, political and protest work I’ve done over the years.  Much of my work is ephemeral but also didactic, sarcastic and uncomfortable.

Portrait of Pictou County – Installation at The Shaun, New Glasgow, NS, 2018.
A documentation of the people in my community. It is a project of indeterminate length. At this point there are 120 portraits.

Life of Jean – Museum of Industry, Stellarton NS. 2017
This installation was a merging of history, biography, and art. An historical artifact, a biographical narrative, and a commemorative sculpture.

The Air We Breathe – St. FX University Art, Antigonish, NS, 2016 (Two-person show with C. Wilson-Hammond).
Paintings depicting the daily emissions from the local mill.  I used encaustic to give volume to what is almost without substance. It is visually beautiful in rendering toxicity, creating a metaphor in that the jobs offered at the mill are attractive while the environmental damage is profound.

1000 Aprons – Waving Goodbye – Installation at Bethany, 2013.
A sculptural homage to homemakers.  The location was a rural undulating road on the grounds of St. Martha’s Motherhouse at Bethany, Antigonish. St. Martha is the patron saint of homemakers.

future projects
At this time, I have another installation, 10,000 Hours, that I hope to realize in the next few years, an illustrated book seeking a publisher, another looking for a finish, a half written novella, a small sculpture project, an unending portrait series and many paintings yet to be realized.