The Little Painted House of Maud Lewis
Paintings For Sale
“Paintings for Sale” read the roadside sign that first drew the occasional passersby into Maud Lewis' one bedroom painted house in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia. Once the word spread, more people started stopping from near and far to purchase her charming, cheerful folk art compositions on Christmas cards, cardboard, and scrap particle boards.
An Extraordinary Artistic Talent
Although untrained and naive, Maud Lewis portrayed her typical Nova Scotian daily life in her paintings with creative passion, a childlike wonder and playfulness, and an extraordinary artistic talent. Light and colour in her work show balance and harmony much like masters of the craft. Working with crude tools like old bristle brushes, leftover house or boat paint and sardine cans as palates did not curb Maud's enthusiasm or her ability to create bright joyful works of art.
The Little Painted House
Maud and her husband Everett's humble cottage home became her canvas and she painted almost everything. If it had a surface that was flat, Maud painted it. She adorned their tiny house with colourful pretty flowers, whimsical birds and beautiful butterflies. This little painted house has become her legacy. After her death, and her husband's subsequent death, the community of Digby knew this extraordinary home needed to be saved.
The Maud Lewis Gallery
Thanks to the combined efforts over the years by the Maud Lewis Painted House Society of Digby, the Province of Nova Scotia, Federal funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Scotiabank, private donations and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Maud's little painted house has been carefully and painstakingly preserved and restored then rebuilt in a specific gallery honouring this Nova Scotian artist - one of Canada's most important folk artists.
Largest Collection of Maud Lewis Artwork
You can now enjoy Maud's tiny painted home as well as the largest gathered collection of her artwork at the Maud Lewis Gallery. It is a permanent exhibition at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. I wonder what Maud would make of all of this? Creating and sharing her work made her the happiest when alive. I imagine she is smiling from above, seeing the joy her artwork brings to visitors in her dedicated gallery. Thank you Maud. The world is better for you having been in it.
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS)
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is one of the premier arts institutions in Canada and the largest art museum in Atlantic Canada. AGNS engages people with art in two locations: downtown Halifax and Yarmouth which currently holds more than 17,000 artworks in its' permanent collection.
The Little Painted House of Maud Lewis is a Nova Scotian treasure not to be missed. Learn more about Maud’s life and the Maud Lewis Gallery in AGNS by clicking the photo below.
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