Nina Raginsky facts for kids

Nina Raginsky, born on April 14, 1941, is a famous Canadian photographer. She was given a special award called the Order of Canada in 1984 for her amazing work. This award is one of the highest honors a Canadian citizen can receive.

Early Life and Education

Nina Raginsky was born in Montreal, Quebec. She went to Rutgers University in New Jersey. In 1962, she earned a degree in arts there. While at Rutgers, she learned painting from Roy Lichtenstein. She also studied sculpture with George Segal.

Becoming a Photographer

Nina became very interested in photography in 1963. She started working for the National Film Board, taking pictures on her own. At first, she took photos in black and white. Later, she began to make her prints look old with a sepia tone. She also added colors to her photos by hand. Nina even created oil paintings that were based on her photographs.

After spending a year in Mexico, she came back to Canada in 1968. She started a special project to photograph life in remote areas. This included places in the Yukon and communities of First Nations people in British Columbia.

Working in Art Galleries and Teaching

In 1969, Nina became an assistant curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery. She worked there until 1972. After that, she began taking many photos of cities and people. She photographed Vancouver, Victoria, and other parts of British Columbia.

From 1972 to 1981, Nina Raginsky also taught photography. She was an instructor at the Emily Carr College of Art. This school was once known as the Vancouver School of Art.

Exhibitions and Famous Works

Nina Raginsky's photographs have been shown in many places. Her work appeared in art shows in Canada and the United States. It was also featured in various magazines and books. Some of these included the National Film Board's "Image" series. Her photos were also in "Canada: A Year of the Land" and "Between Friends."

Her work has been in magazines like Queen, the Daily London Telegraph Magazine, and L'Express Paris. Since 1962, her photos have been shown in many museums. These include the George Eastman Museum in New York. They were also at the San Francisco Museum and the National Gallery of Canada.

Nina is best known for her unique portraits. She often took full-body pictures of people. Many of these people had interesting or funny personalities. One famous example is her 1974 photo. It shows The Kirkpatrick Sisters in front of the Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia.

In the 1980s, Nina stopped taking photos. She started focusing almost entirely on painting. In 1985, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. She is also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

In 2015, one of her photos, Shoeshine Stand, was featured on Canada Post postage stamps.

Artistic Inspiration

Nina Raginsky has said that a German photographer named August Sander inspired her. She especially liked his portraits. His work, Men Without Masks, was a big influence on her own portrait style.