PROFILE      Laurie McGaw is well known for her distinctive and lively portraits of such outstanding Canadians as Oscar Peterson, Peter Gzowski, and Norman Jewison and for her award-winning children’s books: Polar The Titanic Bear, nominated for a Governor General’s Award, has sold over 680,000 copies in five languages. A recent New York Times review described her illustrations for African Princess as “stunning”. Laurie was honoured with an award for this book from the NAACP. To celebrate the Stratford Festival’s 50^th season, The Royal Canadian Mint chose Laurie’s design for a 50-cent silver coin; three of her new coin designs, including the silver dollar, will be released in 2007. A graduate of The Ontario College of Art & Design, and a former instructor there, Laurie continues to teach: she conducts portrait painting workshops biannually, and teaches master classes to small groups throughout the year. The focus of her work is primarily portraiture. Whether in commissioned works, historical paintings, or in illustrated books, her love is painting people. Laurie McGaw’s work has been featured in books, magazines, and in private and corporate collections for over 30 years. Born in Toronto, Laurie and her husband and two children have lived in their country home near Shelburne for the past 17 years.     

EXHIBITIONS                     

2007: Double Vision; The Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in

          Communication (CAPIC); Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont.; portrait exhibit

2005: Best of the Best; Headwaters Arts Festival Annual Juried Show; SGI Centre, 

          Caledon, Ont.

2004: Portraits in Performance; solo exhibition; 5 portraits of prominent people in the

           performing arts in the Headwaters region; Theatre Orangeville, Orangeville, Ont.

2003: 25 Year Retrospective; solo exhibition as part of the Headwaters Studio Tour.

1992-2003: Headwaters Studio Tour participant; studio

1992: Fourteen Hands; Shelburne Art Centre, Shelburne, Ont.

1996: Solo exhibition at the Dufferin County Museum & Archives, Rosemont, Ont.

1996: Kyoto, Japan: exhibited 8 original paintings from Polar The Titanic Bear

1993: Artist in Residence; McMichael Canadian Collection, Kleinburg, Ont., 

           coinciding with a special exhibition of the collection’s portraits

1984: CAPIC show; Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Ont.; exhibited Oscar Peterson portrait

1978-1990: exhibited in various CAPIC shows; some traveled across the country 

AWARDS

2005: NAACP Award for African Princess

2004: Artist of the Year, Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association

2004: New York Times Children’s Books List, Selection, African Princess

2004: Publishers Marketing Association selection, Publishers Weekly; Avram’s Gift

2003: Sydney Taylor Notable Book Award for Avram’s Gift

2002: Certificate of Recognition, The Dufferin Arts Council; founding member

1999: Red Cedar Award for Discovering The Iceman

1999: Applied Arts Magazine, Awards Annual selection, for Journey To Ellis Island

1998: National Jewish Book Awards, Children’s Picture Book Award nominee (Journey)

1998: Benjamin Franklin Award, Best Children’s Book for *Something To Remember Me By

1998: Joan Fassler Book Award*

1998: Parents Choice Recommended, selection*

1998: Canadian Children’s Book Centre, “Our Choice”*

1998: Selected as “Outstanding” by the Parent Council*

1998: American Bookseller “Pick of the Lists”*

1997: Mr. Christie’s Book Award for Discovering The Iceman

1997: Information Book Award, Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada (Iceman)

1995: Silver Birch Award for Polar The Titanic Bear

1994: Governor General’s Award finalist, for Polar The Titanic Bear

1994: Canadian Children’s Book Award, Ontario Library Association Children’s Services Guild, for Polar The Titanic Bear

1990: CAPIC Annual Exhibition, Bronze Award for The Morningside Papers  (portrait of Peter Gzowski)

1985: Civilian Citation, presented by The Board of Commissioners of Police, City of Toronto (for assisting the homicide division with portraits of suspects, and victims)

PORTRAITS    

Oscar Peterson / Jazz pianist, Peter Gzowski / Broadcaster, David Suzuki /

Environmentalist, Mark DuBois /Tenor, Dan Needles / Playwright, Terry Fox / Hero,

Wayne Gretzky / Hockey star, Norman Jewison / Director, David Nairn /Actor, 

Director, Gene DiNovi / Jazz pianist, Dave Young / Jazz bassist, Silken Laumann / 

Olympic rower, Sharon, Lois & Bram / Children’s entertainers, Bruce Westwood / 

Literary Agent, Dini Petty / Broadcaster, Doris McCarthy / Artist, 

The Hon. Hugh Sedgwick/Judge, Pat Sedgwick / Fundraiser, The Poulton children, 

Theresa Mizzi / Therapist, The entire Board of Directors of Imperial Oil, 

Dr. K.MacMillan / Canadian Bible Society, Katelyn Epners / Student, 

Neil Mathieson, CGA /Professional Accountant, Freddie Mathieson, Liz Mathieson / 

Adventurer, Catherine, Joe & Angela Zeimet / Family, 

Gordon Pape / Author, Broadcaster, Robert Thomas Allen / Writer, 

Boris Brott / Conductor, Farley Mowat/Author, Pope John Paul II, 

The Cruickshank children, Erin Gilmour / cover, Toronto Life Magazine, 

D’Arcy McKeough / Executive, Rogers & Hammerstein / Toronto Life Magazine, 

Gillian Howard / Fundraiser, Claude Taylor / Air Canada Executive, 

Charles Rand / posthumous portrait, Christopher Needler / Executive, 

Conrad Black & Barbara Amiel / Executive, Writer, Bill Lishman / Environmentalist, 

Walter Bean / Newspaper executive, Susan Butler / Educator, Tamara Hope / Actor, 

Dermot O’Brien / Art Director, Rory ‘Gus’ Sinclair / Musician, Social Activist, 

Contractor, Major Alexander J. Sinclair / 48^th Highlanders of Canada, 

Genevieve / Grand-daughter of Carl and Anne Laurier, 

Cheryl Shoji / Newspaper Photo Editor, Ian French / Executive, 

Sandra Leah / Secondary School Principal, Roy Frankel / Executive, 

Andrea Bocelli / Tenor, …and more.  

 BOOKS    

The Secrets of Vesuvius, Random House, Madison Press

Polar The Titanic Bear, Little, Brown / Madison Press

The Illustrated Father Goose, Little, Brown / Madison Press

Discovering The Iceman, Scholastic / Madison Press

Christmas With Anne, McClelland & Stewart

The Popcorn Tree, Stoddart

Something To Remember Me By, The communication Project

Journey To Ellis Island, Hyperion / Madison Press

Inside The Hindenburg, McArthur & Company / Madison Press 

           (Collaboration with Ken Marschall)

To Be A Princess, Scholastic / Madison Press

Joan Stade’s Story, Joan Stade, Chicago, Illinois

Avram’s Gift, MB Publishing, Maryland

African Princess, Hyperion / Jump At The Sun / Madison Press 

MEDIA                  

Print                 2007: Selected to design new logo for the Town of Shelburne,  
                                  Shelburne Free Press & Economist                 
                        1992 to the present: The Orangeville Citizen, various articles
                        1992 to the present: The Orangeville Banner, various articles

Bio.                  1996: The Toronto Star
                        1994: In The Hills Magazine

Misc.                1999: Portrait of Andrea Bocelli, personally presented to him in Verona, Italy
                                 (Polar The Titanic Bear cards mailed by the Bocelli family to friends at Christmas)

Radio & TV     2002: CBC TV news: Presented To Be A Princess to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
                        1997: 96.3 FM Radio; Interviewed by Catherine Belyea 
                        1994: CBC Radio: Interviewed by Peter Gzowski on Morningside
                        1992: Rogers Cable TV (portraits:Wayne Gretzky, Rodney Dangerfield, David Bowie)  
                        1986: CBC TV: Episode of “Street Legal”, as courtroom artist  

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

                        2005: “Packaging Your Imagination”, Victoria College, U of T, sponsored by 
                                    The Canadian Society of Children’s Authors Illustrators and Performers
                        2000: Tour of the North: Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, and Norman Wells
                                    Libraries and schools; supported by the Canada Council
                        1994 to the present: Many presentations to schoolchildren throughout Ontario
                        1994 to the present: presentations/workshops to various local art groups  

JURIES          

                        2005: “Artflight”; The Canada Aviation Museum, Ottawa; annual art exhibition
                        2000: The Governor General’s Awards, Ottawa (Children’s Books)
                        1985: The National Magazine Awards, Toronto  

TEACHING  

                        2005 to the present: Teaching small master classes in home/studio

                        1999 to the present: Portrait painting workshops, twice yearly 

                        1993: Artist in Residence, McMichael Canadian Collection 

1987-93:The Ontario College of Art & Design, part-time instructor 

ASSOCIATIONS

                        Presently listed in the Canadian Who’s Who
                        2000-02: Member of The Portrait Society of America Inc.
                        2001: Chair, Headwaters Studio Tour; member for 10 years
                        2000 to the present: Member of The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association 
                        1996 to the present: Member of CANSCAIP
                                    Canadian Society of Children’s Authors Illustrators and Performers
                        1992 to the present: Founding Member of The Dufferin Arts Council
                        1978 to the present: Founding Member of CAPIC  

WORK HISTORY

1978-to the present: Freelance artist and illustrator, specializing in portraiture and book illustration

1977-78: Illustrator at TDF Artists Ltd., at that time Canada’s largest 

         advertising art studio

1974-75: Layout artist and production coordinator for Chatelaine Magazine

1972-74: Layout artist at The Canadian Magazine

1970-72: Layout artist at McGaw-Jordan Ltd. /Artists and Lithographers

EDUCATION

1984: Studied with renowned American portrait painter Daniel Greene, 

       North Salem, NY

1983: Studied Art History in Italy; York University program (Toronto)

1975-77: The Ontario College of Art & Design; graduated with scholarships-1977