Euphemia "Betty" McNaught (October 8, 1901 – May 24, 2002) was a Canadian impressionist painter who focused primarily on landscapes and pioneer lifestyles in Alberta. In 1942, McNaught was commissioned by Canadian Prime Minister

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A L ...

to document the construction of the Alaska Highway. She was the founding member of the Grande Prairie Art Club and the Beaverlodge Art Club. McNaught was born in Glen Morris, Ontario, in 1901, and died at the age of 100 in Beaverlodge, Alberta.

Biography

Born in Glen Morris, Ontario in 1901 to Charles McNaught and Eliza Conner, Euphemia McNaught moved from Glen Morris, Ontario, to Beaverlodge, Alberta at the age of 10. After graduating from the local school, she taught there for two years. Afterwards, she enrolled in the

Ontario College of Art and Design 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 ...

, and studied under

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 ...

members Arthur Lismer and James Edward MacDonald. While in the college, McNaught met fellow artist,

Annora Brown Mary Annora Brown (1899–1987), known as Annora Brown, was a Canadian visual artist whose work encompassed painting and graphic design. She was best known for her depictions of natural landscapes, wildflowers, and First Nations communities in ...

. She graduated the college in 1929 and moved to Calgary to pursue teaching at the

Mount Royal College Mount Royal University (MRU) is a public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. History Mount Royal University was founded by Alberta provincial charter by the Arthur Sifton government on December 16, 1910 and officially opened on September 8, ...

. In 1931, after two years of teaching in Calgary, she moved to

Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...

, Ontario, to teach at the

Ontario Ladies' College Trafalgar Castle School in Whitby, Ontario is an internationally known, independent day and boarding school for girls and young women in grades 4 through 12. Boarding at the school begins in grade 7. Founded in 1874 as "Ontario Ladies' College", ...

. After a brief absence due to her father's death and her job painting the Alaska Highway, she began teaching at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...

Department of Extension in Grand Prairie in 1955. Along with the Alberta Society of Artists, McNaught's work was displayed at the 1931

Calgary Stampede and Exhibition The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, fair, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and ...

. In 1973, McNaught joined the Peace Watercolour Society. In 1985, she was elected as a lifetime member of the Alberta Society of Artists. She died at the age of 100 in 2002. After her death, McNaught's pieces were featured in the

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the ...

Awards

In 1977, McNaught was awarded the Alberta Achievement Award of Excellence in Art. She also was the first recipient of the Sir Frederick Haultain Prize in 1982.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McNaught, Euphemia 1901 births 2002 deaths Canadian centenarians Canadian Impressionist painters Canadian women painters 20th-century Canadian women artists Women centenarians