Born in Montreal in 1893, she studied at the Art Association of Montreal under William Brymner from 1907 to 1917. During this time peroid, she trained under Maurice Cullen in outdoor sketching classes for two summers. In the same year as her father passed away, 1914, she began to exhibit with the Art Association of Montreal’s annual spring exhibition and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. In 1921 she began to show with the Ontario Society of Artists and in 1920 she joined the progressive Beaver Hall Group of Painters, a group based in Montreal. The Beaver Hall Group had both male and female members, challenging the common belief in that era that only men were considered “serious” artists.
McGill Cab Stand, oil on canvas by Kathleen Moir Morris
In 1922, Kathleen Moir Morris relocated to Ottawa to live with her mother, Eliza Bell, a strong-willed woman with progressive views who actively encouraged her daughter's artistic ambitions. At a time when it was very difficult for women to become professional artists, her mother’s support was crucial. Morris also benefitted from the guidance of her mother’s cousin, well-known portrait painter Robert Harris, who took a personal interest in her art career. Eric Brownh, director of the National Gallery of Canada who was a family friend, bought one of her paintings for the Gallery’s collection.
Looking up Côte-des-Neiges, circa 1930, oil on panel
by Kathleen Moir Morris
After the Beaver Hall Group dissolved in 1922, Morris still participated in exhibitions connected to its former members and continued to show her work internationally. While living in Ottawa, she exhibited at the Art Association of Ottawa and the James Wilson and Co. gallery. In 1929, she returned permanently to the Montreal region, where she would live and work for the rest of her life.
At Beauport, Quebec, circa 1924, oil on canvas
by Kathleen Moir Morris
In 1929, she also was elected to become a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and from 1916-1958 she exhibited at the Royal Academy’s annual exhibitions. Her art drew inspiration from James Wilson Morrice, who, in turn, admired her work enough to buy one of her paintings from Montreal’s Watson Art Galleries. Critics have noted similarities between her style and that of A.Y. Jackson, and in 1930, she received Honourable Mention at the Second Willingdon Arts Competition, finishing just behind Frederick Varley of the Group of Seven. She joined the Canadian Group of Painters in 1940, which was formed after the Group of Seven disbanded. The group was led by its first president, Lawren Harris, and co-founded by A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson, and Franklin Carmichael.
Sunday Church Service, Berthierville, Qué., 1924, oil on canvas
by Kathleen Moir Morris
Morris's paintings are characterized by urban scenes, subjects such as horse-drawn sleighs, market activities, and street views, often set against the backdrop of Quebec's winters. Her style combines Post-Impressionist colour and light with animated brushwork and dynamic layouts. She was particularly drawn to the bustling markets of Ottawa and Montreal, as well as the landscapes of Berthierville and Quebec City. During the winter months, Morris frequently took sketching trips to these locations, which provided the inspiration for her horse-and-sleigh and market scenes that were the subjects of her best known paintings.
Morris continued to paint until 1978, after which she retired to Rawdon, Quebec, where she passed away in 1986 at the age of 93.
Throughout her career, Morris's works were featured in numerous exhibitions, including the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley (1924–25), the Exposition d'art canadien in Paris (1927), and the Pintura Canadense Contemporanea in Rio de Janeiro (1944). Her art is held in several important collections, including the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hart House at the University of Toronto, the Mackenzie King Museum, the National Archives of Canada, the Canadian Legation in Paris, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Gallery of Canada.
Consignment at Rookleys
At Rookleys Canadian Art, we are actively seeking works by Kathleen Morris for consignment, offering consignment rates far lower below what auction houses charge. If you have a Morris painting to consign, please contact us at info@rookleys.com to discuss these opportunities further.
Skelly, Julia. "Beaver Hall Group". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Canadian Encyclopedia.
The Gazette, Mtl., P.Q., June 16, 1976, Interview with Wini Rider
Barbara Meadowcroft, Painting Friends: The Beaver Hall Women Painters, 1999
Walters, Evelyn (2005). The Women of Beaver Hall: Canadian Modernist Painters. Dundurn. pp. 73–74. ISBN 1-55002-588-0.
"Morris, Kathleen Moir". Canadian Women Artists History Initiative. Concordia University.
National Gallery of Canada. Musée des beaux-arts du Canada. Willingdon arts competition. 1930 [exhibition records]. identifier b10986558.