Aganetha Dyck facts for kids

Aganetha Dyck (born September 12, 1937 – died July 18, 2025) was a Canadian artist. She lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Aganetha was famous for her unique sculptures. She worked with live honeybees! The bees would build their honeycomb on objects she placed inside their hives. In 2007, she received two important awards. These were Manitoba's Arts Award of Distinction and Canada's Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts.

Early Life and Art Journey

Aganetha Rempel was born in 1937. Her family lived in Marquette, Manitoba. This was a small farming town in Canada. In 1958, she married Peter Dyck.

In 1972, her family moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. There, Aganetha started taking art classes. She learned about pottery and fabric art. She also studied how to think about art. A professor named George Glen helped her learn a lot about art history.

The family moved back to Winnipeg in 1976. Later, from 1980 to 1982, she continued studying art history. She attended the University of Winnipeg. Aganetha Dyck passed away on July 18, 2025. She was 87 years old.

Her Artistic Career

Early Artworks and Materials

Aganetha's first artworks were very creative. She took everyday items from home. She turned them into amazing art. She used things like buttons and wool fabrics.

For example, her artwork Close Knit (1975-1981) was special. It was inspired by clothes shrinking in a dryer! She purposely shrunk wool items to create this piece. In 1984, an art show at the Winnipeg Art Gallery displayed her work. It included hundreds of jars filled with buttons. These were prepared in unique ways.

Felt and Found Objects

Aganetha also made sculptures from felt. Felt is a type of fabric. Sometimes, she combined felt with "found objects." These are everyday items that artists use in their work. Examples include Skirt Issue (1981) and 23 Suitcases (1981).

Working with Honeybees

Aganetha is most famous for her art made with live honeybees! This amazing work started in 1989. She called it a "collaboration." This meant she worked together with the bees. She got the idea after seeing a store sign made from honeycomb.

Aganetha would place different objects inside beehives. Then, the bees would build their honeycombs right onto these objects. Sometimes, this process took many years. One famous artwork is Glass Dress: Lady in Waiting (1992-1998). It is now at the National Gallery of Canada. This piece took 10 seasons of beekeeping to finish!

Another cool artwork is Hockey Night in Canada (1995-2000). For this, she turned sports equipment into beehives. Her bee art became very popular. She was even on the TV show The Nature of Things. This show was hosted by David Suzuki.

Aganetha worked closely with beekeepers and scientists. These scientists study insects. She wanted people to see the beauty of honeycombs. She also hoped her art would show everyone how important honeybees are. She used items like high heels and handbags in her bee art. She even used a wedding dress.

Exhibitions and Awards

Aganetha Dyck's bee artworks have been shown all over the world. They were displayed in cities like Troyes, Paris, and Rotterdam. Her art was also seen at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in England.

She received many important awards for her work. These include the Manitoba Arts Council Award of Distinction in 2007. She also won the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2007. In 2009, her special show "Collaborations" was at the Burnaby Art Gallery. Her artwork Close Knit was part of a Canada Council exhibition in 2018.

Legacy and Collections

Aganetha Dyck also helped other artists. She was a board member for Plug In ICA. She also mentored artists for Mentoring Artists for Women's Art. Her important papers and artworks are kept at the University of Manitoba Archives. This collection helps people learn more about her art career.

Selected Works

• Close Knit (1975‑1981), Canadian Council Art Bank.
• Closest to Her (2007), National Gallery of Canada.
• Queen (2007), National Gallery of Canada.
• Glass Dress: Lady in Waiting (1992‑1998), National Gallery of Canada.
• Hive Drawing #2 (2008), Burnaby Art Gallery.

Awards and Recognition

• Manitoba's Arts Award of Distinction (2007).
• Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts (2007).
• Spotlight on 40 years: Artwork from Canada Council Art Bank (2012).
• Art City Star Award, Winnipeg (2013).
• Making a Mark award by the Winnipeg Arts Council (2014).

Select Exhibitions

• 2009 – Aganetha Dyck: Collaborations (solo), Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
• 2011 – Guest Workers (solo), Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
• 2014 – Surreal Transformations (two-person show with Richard Dyck), Art Gallery of Algoma, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
• 2014 – You've Really Got a Hold on Me, Oakville Galleries, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
• 2014 – Aganetha Dyck: Honeybee Alterations, Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
• 2017 – Cross Pollination, 516 Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
• 2017 – AlterNation, Kamloops Art Gallery, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.
• 2017 – Animal Intent, apexart, New York, USA.
• 2019 – Displacement, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
• 2019 – Something More Than Nothing, The Reach Gallery Museum, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, and touring to the Art Gallery at Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam, BC.

Collections

Dyck's work is held in many art collections. These include the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON. Other places are the Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC. Also the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, PEI. Her art is also at the Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, SK. The Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, BC, also has her work. Other collections include Oakville Galleries, Oakville, ON. The Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, MB. Her art is also at the Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery, Owen Sound, ON. The Saskatchewan Arts Board, Regina, SK, and Manitoba Arts Council Art Bank, Winnipeg, MB. The Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, ON, and the Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB. Also the Art Gallery of Guelph, Guelph, ON, and the Art Gallery of Windsor (now Art Windsor-Essex), ON.