A Life in Color and Landscape
Mabel Killam Day was a Canadian artist who specialized in painting landscapes, seascapes, urban life, still life arrangements, and portraits. Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, she began her formal art education between 1900 and 1904 under John Hammond at the Mount Allison Ladies' College. Seeking further study, she moved to New York City in 1905, where she studied at the New York School of Art and the Henri School of Art on Broadway. During her time in New York, she painted scenes of urban life as well as portraits of her friends and colleagues.
Her career saw her traveling between various locations, including Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she became active in the local art community. During World War I, she lived in London before returning to Yarmouth. Her life later took her to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Schenectady, New York, before she eventually returned to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, where she continued to paint and exhibit her work into her seventies.
Exhibitions and Legacy
Mabel Killam Day’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including her first solo exhibition in 1923 at the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh. She also exhibited with the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Nova Scotia Society of Artists. Her artistic output is preserved in several notable collections, including:
In 1996, she was honored with a solo exhibition by the Acadia University Art Gallery and the Dalhousie University Art Gallery.
