C.W. Jefferys, 2 August 1930, photographed by M. O. Hammond. # F 1075, Ontario Public Archives, I0016559. Jefferys was an unapologetic champion of illustrators. He himself illustrated numerous history books, and was thus responsible for forming a large portion of Canadian visual national identity of the 20th century.
Welcome to the Index of Canadian Illustrators!
What?
Begun in about 2008, this is a collaborative site, devoted to compiling an exhaustive list of Canadian artists who illustrate(d) - ie, who regularly at some point in their lives animated, designed, collaged, cartooned, painted or drew for print/film/digital/public space. It covers both historical and contemporary artists. The candidate must have been born OR art-school-educated OR worked in Canada.
Use content at your own risk. Neither Jaleen Grove nor Wikidot are accountable for incorrect information, as material posted here cannot be constantly verified, due to the public nature of wikis. This project is meant to be a starting point for researchers, not an authoritative source. That said, this wiki is meant to assemble truth! If you find something grossly in error, join and change it or notify Jaleen.
NOTE: Please do not delete anybody. If you are certain an artist here is not an illustrator or Canadian (according to the definition above), just enter a note about it under their name. All names appearing here were found connected in some way to commercial art, in searches of archives and elsewhere - but many must be verified still. Remember, many artists have hidden illustration lives… you might be surprised who shows up here! On the other hand, several "mural artists" have been included (from CHIN, the Canadian Heritage Information Network designations) just in case, but who may turn out to be purely abstract expressionists or suchlike!
Artist not found here? Understandable! It is by no means complete!
You can try searching for them in the National Gallery's database.
How?
You are invited to join the wiki, and then add yourself to the listings, or add someone you know about, and to improve existing entries.
Up until Nov. 2011 this wiki was publicly available to anyone to edit without joining, but due to spammers it is now necessary to join if you want to edit and add names. Request to join using the links on the sidebar and notify me by email at moc.liamg|evorgneelaj#moc.liamg|evorgneelaj.
After joining, click on "edit" (found at the bottom of every page) to add or modify an entry on the appropriate page, or email moc.liamg|evorgneelaj#moc.liamg|evorgneelaj if you're stuck.
Entries must be factual, not opinionated, and not advertising. Follow the format below.
NO IMAGES please! Link to them instead. Including images makes for too much scrolling and slows loading.
Entries must not violate privacy. Only information that is publicly available should be posted.
Quotes from other sources must be cited. Links encouraged.
1. Artists are listed alphabetically by last name AND pen name (pen name should send the visitor to actual name). Go to the appropriate page and add the artist alphabetically.
2. The ideal entry is about 250 words and contains the following:
- DOE, John - born 1950, Toronto; died 2000, New York.
- Training: Ontario College of Art, 1969-1971.
- Cities worked in: Toronto, Vancouver, LA, New York
- Major Clients: MacLeans, CBC, New Yorker, Nike
- Preferred subjects/styles: cartoon, high realism, social commentary
- <… and then a biographical paragraph …>
- Link to a personal (or commemorative, if dead) website
Who?
This wiki was begun by Jaleen Grove when she began writing a Ph.D on the history and cultural significance of Canadian illustrators (completed in 2014, posted on her website). One particular angle she was interested in is the illustrator brain-drain of Canadians leaving for the US, and what becomes of those who go versus those who stay - not to mention the various ways illustrators have influenced the course of history through educational, rhetorical, and entertaining image-making.
Since this site launched in 2008, many researchers have found it useful, and report on occasion that sometimes it was the only google hit they came up with when researching a name.
Due to other commitments, additions have been few since 2014, but since people still regularly consult it and perhaps one day Jaleen can devote time to it, it remains online.
Why?
Illustrators have been almost entirely ignored in Canadian history, especially in academic circles and galleries, despite the contributions to Canadian identity and culture they have made all these years. Many of the most accomplished of our illustrators are totally unknown by other Canadians. Their memory and legacy is valiantly, but barely, kept alive by other illustrators and a few researchers. This wiki seeks to gather all that oral history into one place, so we can see what it adds up to. UPDATE April 2012: Since this wiki was begun in 2008, significantly more researchers have started to pay attention to illustration, and the field is now gaining higher profile. Still - so much more to do…
Illustration has been undergoing impressive changes since 2010. Knowing our roots, our size, and our importance will help us set goals and muster resources for our future.
Some long-term results of this index could include:
- scholarly research on the forgotten illustrators
- a major exhibition of the finest work
- a published reference book
- the establishment of a dedicated archive for illustrators' fonds this latter has been a pet concern for Jaleen and others, but the stars have not aligned. We need massive funding and an interested institution.
