The objects of the Academy as stated in the 1881 publication of the organization's constitution[1] were three-fold:
First - the institution of a National Gallery at the seat of Government;
Second - the holding of Exhibitions in the principal cities of the Dominion;
Third - the establishment of Schools of Art and Design.
In the same publication, two levels of membership were described: Academicians and Associates. No more than forty individuals could be Academicians at one time, while the number of Associates was not limited. All Academicians were required to give an example of their work to the collection of the National Gallery. They were also permitted to show more pieces in Academy-sponsored exhibitions than Associates.[1]
The inaugural exhibition was held in Ottawa and the first Academicians were inducted, including the first woman Academician, Charlotte Schreiber. Through the next 10 years, the Academy held annual exhibitions, often in cooperation with regional artists' societies. Exhibitions in Toronto were a joint project of the Academy and the Ontario Society of Artists, while those held in Montreal were held in partnership with the Art Association of Montreal. Exhibitions were also held in St. John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.[2] Additional academicians and associates were added each year until the membership had more than doubled by 1890. Members were drawn from all areas of the country and included anglophones and francophones. Men continued to out-number women and those female members were identified as painters not as designers or architects.[3]
As Academicians joined, they donated an example of their work to the National Gallery of Canada, building the collection of the as-yet unincorporated institution. A temporary home was found for the collection in a building next to the Supreme Court of Canada and the first curator, John W.H. Watts, RCA was appointed to begin organizing exhibitions.[4]
The third objective—to encourage the teaching of art and design in Canada—was found to be more challenging to address with the limited financial resources available to them.[2]
1891 to present
Canadian landscape painter Homer Watson was elected as an associate, became a full member and later became president of the Academy.
The centennial year of the Academy was honoured by a 35 cent, 3 colour postage stamp.[5] The stamp features an image of the original centre block of the Parliament Buildings and the text "Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1880–1980", with the name "Thomas Fuller", a member of the Academy and the Dominion Architect of Canada [6] who had designed the original building.
^ a bConstitution and Laws of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts. Toronto: Globe Printing Co., Printer. 1881. p. 1. ISBN 9780665128936. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
^ a bReport and review of financial position and prospective policy of the Academy to His Excellency the Most Hon. the Marquis of Lansdowne, Governor-General, Patron of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1886. Ottawa: Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. 1886. ISBN 9780665456060. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
^ a bRecords of the Founding of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts. Toronto: Globe Printing Co. 1879–80. p. 16. ISBN 9780665132964. Archived from the original on 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
^"Our History: Pre 1900". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
^Credit: Library and Archives Canada; Copyright: Canada Post Corporation
^"Dominion Architect". Archived from the original on 2017-07-31. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n"Members since 1880". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
^ a bRecords of the Founding of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts. Toronto: Globe Printing Co. 1879–80. p. 27. ISBN 9780665132964. Archived from the original on 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
^Records of the Founding of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts. Toronto: Globe Printing Co. 1879–80. p. 28. ISBN 9780665132964. Archived from the original on 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
^Annual Exhibition Catalogue of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1884. Montreal: Art Association of Montreal. 1884.
^Annual Exhibition Catalogue of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1886. Montreal: Art Association of Montreal. 1886.
^Annual Exhibition Catalogue of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1887. Montreal: Art Association of Montreal. 1887. ISBN 9780665465239.
^Annual Exhibition Catalogue of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1888. Montreal: Art Association of Montreal. 1888.
^Annual Exhibition Catalogue of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1890. Montreal: Art Association of Montreal. 1890.
^"Royal Insurance Company's Building (late Merchants Bank), Montreal, c. 1866". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
^"St. James Square Presbyterian Church, Toronto, 1880". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
^"A. Dickson Patterson". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
^ a bMcMann, Evelyn de R. (2003). Biographical Index of Artists in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 246. ISBN 9780802027900.
^Annual Exhibition Catalogue of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1896. Montreal: Art Association of Montreal. 1896.
^"C.M. Manly". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw axAnnual Exhibition Catalogue of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1907. Montreal: Art Association of Montreal. 1907.
^Creative Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Creative and Performing Artists. Vol. 1. University of Toronto Press. 1971. p. 1760. ISBN 1442637838.
^"Stolen paintings by late Canadian artist recovered after sister spots them on Kijiji, CBC, 2018". Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
^"Members - 1880 to the Present". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Archived from the original on 1 February 2003. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
^"Members - 1880 to the Present". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. 2011-05-26. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
^"Members Since 1880". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. 2020. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
^"Members Since 1880". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. 1999. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
^ a b"Island artists inducted into Royal Academy of Arts". CBC News. December 15, 1999. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s"New members 2007". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Archived from the original on 28 May 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
^ a b c d"Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts celebrates four craft artists". The Canadian Crafts Federation. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p"INDUCTION 2011" (PDF). Royal Canadian Academy of Arts News. Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Retrieved 20 October 2013.[permanent dead link]
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t uNew Members, 2014, archived from the original on 16 August 2017, retrieved 5 March 2014
^"Eva Lapka". Galerie Berdnard. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k"New Members". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am"New Members". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
^ a b c d e f g h i"Home". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
^"NSCAD UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES ITS 2022 HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS". nscad.ca. NSCAD. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
^G+M: "Designer George Cuthbertson crafted sleek, speedy sailboats" Archived 2018-10-23 at the Wayback Machine, 20 Oct 2017
^"Robert Pilot". Heffel.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
^"Leslie Reid". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2018.