Gertrude Kearns facts for kids

Gertrude Steiger Kearns (born in 1950) is a Canadian artist. She is known for her unique focus on war and military experiences. She creates art that helps people understand the challenges faced by soldiers and the impact of conflict.

Early Life and Inspiration

Gertrude Steiger Kearns was born in 1950 in Toronto, Ontario. She became interested in creating art about war after the Gulf War in the early 1990s. She wanted to show the human side of military life and the difficult situations soldiers face.

Artistic Career and Exhibitions

Kearns began drawing and painting scenes from military experiences, especially those related to events in Somalia and Rwanda. By 1997, the Canadian War Museum had acquired some of her paintings.

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 traveled to Afghanistan to create art about the mission there. After returning, she completed a large painting called "What They Gave." This artwork showed three wounded soldiers in a hospital, highlighting the sacrifices made by military personnel.

Displaying Difficult Truths

In 2005, some of Kearns's artworks were shown at the Canadian War Museum. These pieces depicted Canadian soldiers and difficult moments from military operations. Some people, including veterans' groups, did not want these artworks displayed because they showed sensitive events. However, Kearns believes it is important to show all aspects of war, even the challenging ones.

She also created an exhibition about writer John Bentley Mays. This art explored feelings like psychological conflict and how people deal with difficult thoughts.

The Art of Command

Kearns gathered her art from the Afghan mission into an exhibition called "The Art of Command: Portraits and Posters from Canada's Afghan Mission." This collection featured portraits of Canadian soldiers and leaders. From December 2005 to January 2006, she stayed with Canadian soldiers in Kandahar, Afghanistan. During this time, she created five new paintings based on her experiences there.

Later Works and Recognition

In 2008, Kearns was asked to paint portraits of Tecumseh and Brock. These were important figures from the War of 1812. By 2011, she was working on a series of 24 war posters. These posters featured images of important Canadian soldiers. Even though the Canadian military supported her work, Kearns found that some art galleries were not interested in showing her art. They felt it was not "subversive enough," meaning it didn't challenge traditional ideas in the way they expected.

In 2015, her "The Art of Command" exhibit was displayed at the Fort York Visitor Centre. In 2019, Gertrude Steiger Kearns received a high honor. She was named a Member of the Order of Canada. This award recognizes Canadians who have made a big difference to the country.

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 event with a Somali citizen.