A Dictionary of Canadian Artists™
A resource of biographies compiled and edited by Colin S. MacDonald

"The ultimate guide to Canadian Art" (MacLeans Magazine)

Volume 8, Just Released, Web Special at $25 (Regular $35)

People – The things we do for the love of Canadian art

SHARON DOYLE DREDGER  
MacLean’s Magazine, July 28, 2003

Colin MacDonald suppressed his passion for art until he was nearly 40, dutifully supporting his family as a government accounting clerk Then, in the early ‘50s, his wife gave him a paint set. Within a few years, MacDonald had a solo exhibit at a local Ottawa gallery. But it was his desire to record the accomplishments of other artists that would ultimately change his life. MacDonald's inspiration hit in the early 60s when he discovered an international dictionary of artists. "I thought, wouldn't it be a good idea if we had a dictionary of Canadian artists?" he recalls. Sure, said one publisher who rejected the proposal --too bad it isn't feasible in the small Canadian arts market. Perhaps he should narrow the list to prominent artists, suggested another. But MacDonald, now 78, refused to give up. In 1965, he quit his job to pursue his goal. Two years later, using his $2000 retirement fund to help cover the printing costs, he completed A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Vol. 1(A to F). After four revisions, this 800-page book holds biographical sketches of more than 1,000 visual artists, painters, sculptors, carvers and potters. And MacDonald has sold more than 35,000 copies of the prize-winning reference work, ship ping it to libraries and art galleria across North America from his home warehouse. In the course of nearly 40 years, MacDonald has painstakingly researched and written seven volumes in total, often working 10-hour days. By the end of this year, he h o p m, publish the eighth and final volume, covering S to Z. With that, MacDonald will have mad a compendium of 6,000 artists, from the most illustrious to the deliciously obscure-many of whom he met in the process, including members of the famed Group of Seven. Throughout this labour of love, his commitment has been extraordinary. Although he received sporadic government grants, he was forced to subsidize his project with personal loans, and by selling his own artwork as well as chunks of his cherished own arts library. “It broke my heart but I had to have the money to carry on,'' says MacDonald "It was a little bigger than I intended, but I'm going to finish the job.

Buy now online $152 per set + $18 Shipping (in Canada)=$180 per set
or call Canadian Paperback's Publishing Inc. at 613-722-1171.

A text version of this MaClean's article is here

Information Matrix

Volume	Names Covered	Version	Number of Biographies	Number of Pages	Sale Price Until Dec. 2006	Buy Now
V.1	A-F	Major Expansion	1097	820	$31
V.2	G - Jackson	Minor Revisions	377	324	$15
V.3	Jacobi - Lismer	Revised and Expanded	376	392	$21
V.4	Little - Myles	Minor Revsions	487	487	$20
V.5	Nadeau - Perrigard	Original Text	400	266	$11
V.6	Parrin - Rakine	Original Text	448	324	$15
V.7	Rakos - Sadowski	Original Text	763	506	$24
V.8	Safbie, Sylvia - Smith, Jori	Original Text	878	668	$25
Total					$137

Volume 8 (Safdie - Z) is in progress

Sale until December 31, 2005, $137 per set + $18 Shipping (in Canada)=$180 per set
Print a PDF order form for "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists" and send to us

Or call 1-613-722-1171