Aleen Aked (1907–2003) was a Canadian-American painter known for her landscapes and portraits.

Biography

Aked was born in

Kildwick Kildwick, or Kildwick-in-Craven, is a village and civil parish of the district of Craven in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Skipton and Keighley and had a population of 191 in 2001, rising slightly to 194 at the 2011 census. K ...

, England in 1907. Her family emigrated to Canada in 1910. She studied at

Ontario College of Art Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within d ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

with several members of the

Group of Seven The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated member". It is officiall ...

; Arthur Lismer,

Fred Varley Frederick Horsman Varley (January 2, 1881 – September 8, 1969) was a member of the Canadian Group of Seven. Career Early life Varley was born in Sheffield, England, in 1881, the son of Lucy (Barstow) and Samuel James Smith Varley the 7th. He ...

, and

A. Y. Jackson Alexander Young Jackson LL. D. (October 3, 1882April 5, 1974) was a Canadian painter and a founding member of the Group of Seven. Jackson made a significant contribution to the development of art in Canada, and was instrumental in bringing toget ...

. After winning a Lismer scholarship, Aked started to attend Ontario College of Art part time at age 14, and she went on to graduate in 1928. Aked lived in

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

during the winter months from 1929 to 1944. She studied art at the

Ringling School of Art Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) is a private art and design school in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded by Ludd M. Spivey as an art school in 1931 as a remote branch of Southern College but separated by 1933. History The origins of ...

. Many of her paintings feature Florida landscapes and Floridians. Aked was an avid golfer, holding the title of club champion of ''The Ladies Golf Club of Toronto'' from 1933-36. During World War II Aked took a hiatus from exhibiting to turn her energies towards the war effort, sending over 5,000 parcels to the allied troops. She died in Toronto in 2003.

Career

During her lifetime, Aked exhibited her paintings in North America including at the Royal Canadian Academy and the Sarasota Art Association. Her last exhibition was at the

Robert McLaughlin Gallery The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a public art gallery in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest public art gallery in the Regional Municipality of Durham, of which Oshawa is a part. The gallery houses a significant collection of Canadian conte ...

in 1989. Aked was a member of several art associations including the

Ontario Society of Artists The Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) was founded in 1872. It is Canada's oldest continuously operating professional art society. When it was founded at the home of John Arthur Fraser, seven artists were present. Besides Fraser himself, Marmaduke M ...

; the

Sarasota Art Association Art Center Sarasota is the community art center in Sarasota, Florida. The Center includes four rotating exhibition galleries and a sculpture garden. It is member-funded and offers adult and youth classes, workshops, and programs. The Center was es ...

(where she was president in 1942 and director in 1946); the Florida Federation of Art and the Southern States Art League.

Car Collector

Aked, who started driving at age 11, also maintained a small car collection including: "a 1938 Cadillac, 1955 Chevrolet, 1959 Cadillac with fins, and a 1981 Oldsmobile."

References

External links

Aleen Aked images on ArtNet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aked, Aleen 1907 births 2003 deaths 20th-century American painters 20th-century Canadian painters 20th-century American women artists OCAD University alumni Canadian women painters 20th-century Canadian women artists 21st-century American women artists British emigrants to Canada Canadian emigrants to the United States