Beauty and frailty: these are the two sides of the human condition that have informed Nova Scotian artist Dawn MacNutt’s evocative work for more than 45 years. Working throughout her career with both bronze forms and natural materials like willow, seagrass, and hemp, MacNutt creates organic, abstract forms and sculptures that resonate on a visceral level: a mother and child, a spirit within, a column that is both delicate and strong.

Timeless Forms brings together over a hundred images of MacNutt’s sculptures and textiles, weaving them into the story of her life: from growing up in rural Nova Scotia during the Second World War; through her studies at Mount Allison University under the guidance of Alex Colville; to marriages, motherhood and finding, in her forties, the courage to throw herself into art full time. Writing about her unique artistic journey with humour and empathy, MacNutt finds joy in the face of loss and resilience in the face of adversity.

Born in 1937 in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, MacNutt attended Mount Allison University in the 1950s, and practiced social work for forty years. Her passion was always to create, and, when she received Canada Council funding in 1999, she left social work to become a full-time artist. She has since been inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts and become a Master Artisan of Craft Nova Scotia and a member of the International Sculpture Center and Visual Arts Nova Scotia. Having exhibited in over a hundred shows, from the local to the international, MacNutt’s work graces many permanent collections, including those of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Museum of History, the Owens Art Gallery, MSVU Art Gallery, the Museum of Arts and Design (New York), LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, New York, and the NCC Crown Collection. She lives in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

Dawn MacNutt's profile page