On the Art of Being Canadian

by Sherrill Grace

When Vincent Massey wrote On Being Canadian in 1948, he acknowledged the importance of the arts to education and citizenship. He did not consider what the arts can tell us about being Canadian. In On the Art of Being Canadian, Sherrill Grace traces how painters, writers, and filmmakers have shaped Canadian identity in three fields of representation that are staples of Canadian culture – the North, iconic national figures, and war. By telling stories in their chosen media and genres about life here or about events and figures from the past, she shows that artists help us to understand the Canadian landscape and to create a shared history.

Genres: Art

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2010

About the author

Sherrill Grace, OC, FRSC, is a University Killam Professor Emerita at the University of British Columbia. She specializes in Canadian literature and culture and has published extensively in these areas. Her recent books include Tiff: A Life of Timothy Findley (2020), Inventing Tom Thomson (2004), Canada and the Idea of North (2007), Making Theatre: A Life of Sharon Pollock (2008), and Landscapes of War and Memory (2014).