Opening of Dawn MacNutt: Timeless Forms

Vernissage: Friday 16 January, 7:00-9:00 pm On view: 17 January – 12 May 2026 Curators: Melanie Colosimo and Emily Falvey Organized in partnership with MSVU Art Gallery Throughout her career, Dawn MacNutt has examined the fragility of human life through a lens of care and support, creating poignant pieces that mingle joy and courage with loss and mourning. Spanning four decades of work, this exhibition traces the evolution of her unique practice through a selection of key sculptural works. Moving from delicate miniatures crafted in silver and copper wire to impressive human forms woven from locally sourced willow, this gathering of works charts the development of a complex and nuanced oeuvre that explores the depths of the human condition. Dawn MacNutt obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Art and Psychology) in 1957 from Mount Allison University (Sackville, New Brunswick). In 1970, she obtained a master’s degree in social work from Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia). She was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts in 2008. In 2005, she was honoured with a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University and, in 2014, with a Doctorate of Laws from Mount Allison University. MacNutt’s work is inspired by her lifelong love of the human condition, what she describes as “the beauty of human frailty.” Interpreting universal human form, or architectonic column-like forms, she generally works with natural materials. There is continued interest in her life-size willow works cast into bronze for outdoor installations and sculpture gardens. In addition to her exhibitions and commission work, she is a longstanding member of the International Sculpture Center; CARFAC; Craft Nova Scotia; Visual Arts Nova Scotia; and Creative Pictou County. She served as a national director on the Canadian Craft Council from 1983–1987 and her work is held in numerous collections, including MSVU Art Gallery (Halifax, NS), the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, (Halifax, NS), the Owens Art Gallery (Sackville, NB), the Museum of Arts and Design (New York, NY), Rideau Hall (Ottawa. ON), and the Canadian Museum of History (Ottawa, ON). Find venue access information @ https://owensartgallery.com/visit/accessibility/