Fonds

The Women's Art Society of Montreal (WASM) was founded in 1894 by Mrs. James H. Peck (née Mary Alice Skelton) and Mary Martha (May) Phillips as the Montreal branch of the Women's Art Association of Canada (WAAC), which was incorporated in Toronto in 1892. Its aim was to bring women into the world of art and enable them to pursue art as a profession, at a time when women rarely had the opportunity to find fulfilment outside the domestic sphere. It offered female artists, both professionals and amateurs, a meeting room and studio where they could produce art and discuss ideas.

The organization's founders were influential figures in Montreal's arts and crafts scene at the turn of the 20th century. Mrs. James H. Peck, a recognized expert in the field of handicrafts, was the first president of the WAAC Montreal Branch, holding the position from 1894 to 1896. A talented painter and teacher, Mary Martha Phillips was principal of the School of Art and Applied Design in the mid-1890s. She succeeded Peck as president of the WAAC Montreal Branch, staying until 1906. From 1905 to 1908, she was also the first president of the Canadian Handicrafts Guild, now known as the Canadian Guild of Crafts.

By the end of its first year, the WAAC Montreal Branch had signed up approximately 200 members. It offered studio drawing classes, reading classes, lectures on a variety of topics by eminent speakers like artist William Brymer and architect Percy Nobbs, and ran sketch and design competitions for various products. It organized two annual exhibitions in Montreal and also presented some works in other branches of the WAAC.

In 1900, the WAAC Montreal Branch launched the crafts movement to promote, preserve and carry on the tradition of handcrafted objects among native-born Canadians and immigrants. This movement also aimed to encourage the development of home industry and promote national unity. In 1902, the year of the Exhibition of Home Arts devoted to handicrafts made by Canadians, the organization formed the Handicrafts Committee to organize local and travelling exhibitions and open a store called Our Handicrafts Shop. By 1904, although the WAAC Montreal Branch continued to champion the movement, it had to withdraw financial support as it had grown increasingly onerous due to rapid growth. The Canadian Handicrafts Guild, a non-profit organization founded in 1905, carried on the movement according to the same philanthropic principles.

In 1907, the WAAC Montreal Branch broke away from the parent body following a disagreement over a new charter that gave the Toronto-based association greater control over the Montreal branch's finances. The independent Women's Art Society of Montreal (WASM) was then created, maintaining the same objectives, characteristics and programs as before.

In the years that followed, the WASM reached the height of popularity. In 1910, the Keramic Department was founded to teach the art of porcelain painting. The WASM also developed activities focussed on the literary and dramatic arts while maintaining its art studio production. It presented lectures covering a variety of topics, notably architecture, painting, sculpture, engraving, goldsmithing, ceramics, literature and travel.

During the First World War, the WASM supported the war effort by establishing the Home Relief Fund. This later became known as the Artists' War Fund, which provided financial assistance to Montreal artists and musicians in need. After the war, the WASM's philanthropic work continued with the creation of the Soldiers' Fund, which provided assistance to disabled veterans. Mrs. James H. Peck helped set up programs to teach veterans how to make crafts, thus playing a key role in the development of occupational therapy in Montreal. The WASM also fostered close relationships with organizations like the Montreal Children's Library (by giving grants) and the Montreal Council of Women.

In the period following the Great War, the WASM gradually extended its activities to other branches of the arts, while continuing to pursue its founding goals of promoting the literary, musical and visual arts. A drama group was formed in the 1920s and music recitals featuring young Montreal performers were organized. However, when Mrs. W. D. Lighthall was president of the WASM from 1921 to 1924, she refocussed the organization's interests on studio activities. In addition to taking part in the WASM's annual exhibitions, members exhibited their work in other Montreal art shows.

The WASM also worked to promote peace during the 1930-1931 season by holding a national competition for the best poem about peace, subsequently publishing the most interesting works. It also instituted Members' Day, an annual event at which members present original works of art and literature.

On April 11, 1968, the WASM was incorporated under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec. Throughout the 1970s, its programming had to be adjusted to respond to its fluctuating popularity and membership, a result of the transformation sweeping Montreal's cultural scene. The WASM's activities remained focussed on the Literary Group and the Studio Group, while the annual exhibition was a landmark social and cultural event in its programming.

In 1981, to comply with Bill 101, the WASM officially adopted a French name: the Association culturelle des femmes de Montréal. However, it remains an essentially English organization. In the late 1990s, it began admitting men as members. At that time, the Society included the studio, literary and art appreciation groups. As of May 2021, the organization had over 250 members, the vast majority of them professional artists in a variety of fields: visual arts, performance, literature, culinary arts, architecture and fashion design.