Biographies > Caroline MacArthur

When referring to Caroline MacArthur’s art, Eleanor Huff writes that one thinks of ‘large paintings of Cobalt mines’. Cobalt and Caroline MacArthur are often equated together in the art community. First, because of the way she portrayed the town in her art (including the three works in the TAG collection: Cobalt, Back of Lang Street Cobalt, ON, and Cobalt Public School) and secondly because she spent most of her life contributing to the life of the art community of the town and surrounding region.

Caroline was born in Nova Scotia. Her parents moved first to Toronto and then to Cobalt where Caroline grew up. She graduated from a three year art course at the Ontario Provincial Institute. She also studied art with a number of local artists including Mary Schneider, Gus Weisman, John Hall, Alex Miller, Abi Bayefshy, Carl Schaefer, and Zoltan Szabo. Apart from pursuing her own work, Caroline taught art at the Haileybury School of Mines for some years and many of the artists whose work are in the TAG collection learnt from her. She was an active member of the NOAA, and most notably was the first convenor of the Cobalt Artists’ Colony in 1958 – a role she performed until 1977 (except for one year). Caroline also was a great supporter of the Temiskaming Art Gallery, founding the TAG volunteer group in 1982. In 1983, she helped create the Temiskaming Palette and Brush Club, bringing together groups and individuals in the art community.

Caroline said she had painted in many countries all over the world but said her favourite spot to paint was Cobalt due to its historic buildings, mine shafts and open cuts.1

1. For further details see D. Green, A Portrait. 50 years in the making, A History of the Northern Ontario Art Association, 2009