Gertrude Kearns facts for kids

Gertrude Steiger Kearns CM (born in 1950) is a Canadian artist known for her unique focus on war. She is often called a war artist because her art explores military experiences and conflicts.

Early Life of Gertrude Kearns

Gertrude Kearns was born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1950.

Kearns' Artistic Journey

Gertrude Kearns became interested in creating war art after the Gulf War. She focused on the experiences of soldiers in places like Somalia and Rwanda. By 1997, the Canadian War Museum had two of her paintings. These included portraits of soldiers like Kyle Brown, and later, MacKenzie and Dallaire.

Art in Afghanistan

In 2003, Kearns was chosen to be part of the Canadian Forces Artists Program. This program sends artists to places where Canadian soldiers are serving. She went to Afghanistan to create art about the mission there. When she returned, Kearns finished a large painting called "What They Gave." This artwork showed three wounded soldiers in a hospital.

Controversial Art and Exhibitions

In 2005, two of Kearns' paintings were shown at the Canadian War Museum. These artworks showed Canadian soldiers, including Kyle Brown, involved in a difficult event with a Somali citizen. Some people, like Clifford Chadderton and veteran groups, did not want these paintings displayed. They felt the art was too controversial.

Kearns also created art that explored "psychological conflict." This art showed how people deal with their thoughts and feelings, even when things are difficult. She later put all her Afghan war art into an exhibit called "The Art of Command: Portraits and Posters from Canada's Afghan Mission." From December 2005 to January 2006, Kearns stayed with Canadian soldiers in Kandahar. She created five paintings based on her time there.

Later Works and Recognition

In 2008, Kearns was asked to paint portraits of Tecumseh and Brock. These were important leaders during the War of 1812. By 2011, she was working on 24 war posters. These posters featured images of important Canadian soldiers. Even though the Canadian military liked her work, some art galleries did not want to show it. They felt her art was not "subversive enough," meaning it didn't challenge ideas in a radical way.

In 2015, her military art exhibit, "The Art of Command," was shown at the Fort York Visitor Centre. In 2019, Gertrude Kearns was given a special honor. She was named a Member of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honors a Canadian citizen can receive. In 2024, four of her artworks were part of an exhibition called Outside the Lines at the Canadian War Museum. One of these was The Dilemma of Kyle Brown: Paradox in the Beyond (1995). This painting showed a Canadian soldier involved in a difficult incident with a Somali citizen.