Maud Lewis

Renowned folk artist Maud Lewis (1903-1970) was known for her colourful paintings of life and the landscape of Digby, Nova Scotia.

Despite the hardships of poverty and advancing arthritis, Maud was able to create a body of charming and cheerful paintings that belied her situation – the fluffy white and black cats, the jaunty sleighs on wintry roads, the oxen festooned with bells and more. Maud painted on whatever surface was available including clam shells, dust pans and the walls of her tiny home.

Lewis’s small home, where she lived for over 30 years, has been on permanent exhibition in the Scotiabank Maud Lewis Gallery at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia since 1998. Her artwork is held there and in the Canadian Museum of Civilization. She is the subject of several biographies and two National Film Board of Canada documentaries. In 2017, a biopic of Maud's life titled "Maudie" was released starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke.