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Maud Lewis: A World Without Shadows

1976 10 min
Leaving soon

Set against a background of her paintings and the Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, landscapes they depict, this short documentary is a portrait of the life and work of one of Canada's foremost primitive painters, Maud Lewis. Emerging from her youth crippled with arthritis, Lewis escaped into her painting at the age of 30. She had never seen a work of art and had never attended an art class but her paintings captured the simple strength, beauty and happiness of the world she saw - a world without shadows.

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Maud Lewis: A World Without Shadows

Details

Set against a background of her paintings and the Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, landscapes they depict, this short documentary is a portrait of the life and work of one of Canada's foremost primitive painters, Maud Lewis. Emerging from her youth crippled with arthritis, Lewis escaped into her painting at the age of 30. She had never seen a work of art and had never attended an art class but her paintings captured the simple strength, beauty and happiness of the world she saw - a world without shadows.

Visual Arts Women - Portraits All subjects
Arts All channels
  • director
    Diane Beaudry
  • editing
    Diane Beaudry
  • cinematography
    Blake James
    Kent Nason
  • cinematography - assistance
    Mike Mahoney
  • sound recording
    Patricia Kipping
  • commentary
    Barry Cowling
  • narrator
    Niki Lipman
  • original song
    Barry Cowling
    Paul Mason
  • singer
    Sue-Ellen Lothrop
  • musical arrangement
    Paul Mason
  • animation camera
    Simon Leblanc
  • assistant sound editor
    Janice Brown
  • re-recording
    Jean-Pierre Joutel
  • executive producer
    Kathleen Shannon

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Education

Ages 9 to 12
School subjects
Arts Education - Visual Arts Health/Personal Development - Mental Health/Stress/Suicide Science - Biology
Students research other Canadian artists, present biographies. How is Maud’s story unique? What is meant by the phrase, “a world without shadows”? Research arthritis and other famous people with the disease. How have they overcome the challenges of living with arthritis? Create artwork in Lewis’ style using local settings; host an art show at school or in community to raise money for The Arthritis Society or other charity.
Maud Lewis: A World Without Shadows
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