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Joane Cardinal-Schubert Title Honored with the ARLIS/NA 2019 Melva J. Dwyer Award

 

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (March 28, 2019)—The Writing on the Wall: The work of Joane Cardinal-Schubert, the first comprehensive examination of the artist’s life and work, was presented with the 28th annual Melva J. Dwyer Award at the The Art Libraries Society of North America’s (ARLIS/NA) annual conference. The book was published in 2017 by University of Calgary Press and edited by Lindsey Sharman.

The Writing on the Wall was selected from among 10 Canadian art and architecture titles nominated for the 2019 award.

Published almost 10 years after the artist’s death, this book not only commemorates her life's achievements as an artist - it shows how her art practice, personal experience,  and professional background as author and administrator were all entwined. Contributing author David Garneau describes Cardinal-Schubert as “an empathetic witness driven by a sense of justice. She was fuelled by her convictions, energized by art’s ability to inform and transform, and centred by cultural knowledge and community.” Chapters by contributors of indigenous and settler descent examine the work of an artist deeply concerned with Canadian colonial history. Scholarly chapters are integrated with other, more novel contributions, such as a piece by the artist’s widower and an interview with the artist herself, resulting in a volume that skillfully blends storytelling, art historical analysis, and personal narratives.

Cardinal-Schubert contributed a great deal to her local communities, and despite her success as an artist, she was under-recognized during her life by the mainstream art world. This work provides critical insight into her life and work as well as the individuals and institutions with whom she worked. This compilation deserves recognition for disseminating Cardinal-Schubert’s story to a wider scholarly audience.

 

Honorable mention was given to Laurent Amiot: Canadian Master Silversmith, by René Villeneuve, published in 2018 by the National Gallery of Canada.

The Melva J. Dwyer Award was presented by Suzanne Rackover, Melva J. Dwyer Award Sub-Committee Chair. Jury members of the 2019 ARLIS/NA Melva J. Dwyer Award Sub-Committee were Carly Diab, John Latour, and Lelland Reed.

The Melva J. Dwyer Award was established in recognition of the contribution made to the field of art librarianship by Melva Dwyer, former head of the Fine Arts Library, University of British Columbia. It is given to the creators of exceptional reference or research tools relating to Canadian art and architecture. Dwyer was a champion of the arts and of art librarianship who mentored a generation of ARLIS/NA colleagues.

About  Melva J. Dwyer (October 29, 1919 - November 13, 2017)

With a diploma in piano and a master’s degree in history, Dwyer joined the University of British Columbia Library after completing her MLIS at the University of Toronto. Dwyer quickly set to work building the first major art library in western Canada, relying on her expertise and helped considerably by a large monetary donation. In 1967, she became the first chair of CARLIS, the Canadian Art Libraries Section of the Canadian Association of Special Libraries and Information Services Division. This group later migrated to ARLIS/NA to become the Canadian Chapter. Throughout her career, Dwyer was active in ARLIS and IFLA, and travelled extensively to further develop connections with colleagues and book dealers. She retired from the University of British Columbia in 1984.

About the Art Libraries Society of North America

Founded in 1972, the Art Libraries Society of North America is a dynamic, international organization of more than 1,000 individuals devoted to fostering excellence in art and design librarianship and image management in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The membership includes architecture and art librarians, visual resources professionals, artists, curators, educators, publishers, students, and others interested in visual arts information. To serve this diverse constituency, the Society provides a wide range of programs and services within an organizational structure that encourages participation at all levels.

 

CONTACT

Anne Simmons, ARLIS/NA Media Editor

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For more information visit www.arlisna.org