Joanne Tod facts for kids

Joanne Tod RCA is a famous Canadian artist. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1953. Her paintings often look very real, a style called Realism. She uses her art to make people think about important social issues.

Joanne Tod's artwork is so important that it is kept in major art museums. You can find her paintings in the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Her art is sometimes described as "postmodern," which means it often questions traditional ideas about art and society.

Becoming an Artist

Joanne Tod studied art at the Ontario College of Art, which is now called OCAD University. Soon after she graduated, her work was shown in a big art exhibition in Toronto in 1982. This show was a very important moment for her. It helped her become well-known across Canada.

Art in Toronto

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, many Canadian artists moved to the Queen Street West area in Toronto. This created a lively art community. Joanne Tod was part of this exciting time. She became known for her paintings of people, which she often created from photographs.

Challenging Ideas with Art

Joanne Tod uses her art to challenge common ideas. She uses a bit of humor and surprise in her paintings. She wants to make people think differently about women, different cultures, and social standing. Her amazing painting skills help her do this. She often puts unexpected things together in her realistic pictures.

Artworks from 2000 Onward

Since the year 2000, Joanne Tod has continued to create powerful art. An art critic once called her paintings "dizzying realism." He said her brushwork was very detailed and thoughtful. He also noted that her paintings, while very detailed, sometimes had subtle jokes or puzzles hidden in them.

"Oh, Canada — a Lament" Series

One of her notable art series is called "Oh, Canada — a Lament." From 2007 to 2011, she painted 121 small portraits. Each portrait was of a Canadian who had died in Afghanistan. This series was even published as a visual story in The Walrus magazine in 2011.

Art on Ceramics

Joanne Tod has also worked with the Gardiner Museum, which has a large collection of old ceramics. She decorated a series of plates with modern figures and popular culture themes. She used ideas from the museum's historical works. In an exhibition called "Invited Invasion," her new ceramics were placed among the old ones. This made people look closely and think about art in a new way. As a feminist, she also highlighted that in the past, women were often only allowed to decorate ceramics, not create them from scratch.

You can find more information about Joanne Tod's work at Library and Archives Canada.

Sharing Her Knowledge

Joanne Tod also shares her artistic knowledge with others. She teaches in the Visual Studies program at the University of Toronto. In 2020, she even appeared as a judge on the TV show Landscape Artist of the Year Canada.

Where Her Art Has Been Shown

Joanne Tod's art has been displayed in many public exhibitions across Canada. Here are some of the places:

• Hamilton, ON, Art Gallery of Hamilton
• Kingston, ON, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen's University
• Lethbridge, AB, University of Lethbridge
• Montreal, QC, Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Concordia University
• Montreal, QC, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
• Oakville, ON, Oakville Galleries
• Oshawa, ON, Robert McLaughlin Gallery
• Ottawa, ON, Canada Council Art Bank
• Ottawa, ON, House of Commons, Government of Canada
• Ottawa, ON, National Gallery of Canada
• Sarnia, ON, Sarnia Public Library
• Sudbury, ON, Laurentian University and Art Centre
• Toronto, ON, Art Gallery of Ontario
• Toronto, ON, Hart House, University of Toronto
• Vancouver, BC, Vancouver Art Gallery

Awards and Recognition

Joanne Tod has received several awards for her artistic achievements:

• Canada Council Project Grant, 2011
• Canada Council Senior Artist Creation/Production Grant, 2000
• Ontario Arts Council, Senior Artist Grant, Research/Production, 1993
• Canada Council B Grant, 1983
• Ontario Arts Council Project Grant, 1983