Faith Fyles: In Full Bloom

Why we picked it

This exhibition showcases the connection between art and science through Faith Fyles (1875-1961), Canada’s first female botanist with the Department of Agriculture. It highlights her dual roles at Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm as both a botanist and an artist, often combining these disciplines in her work. Fyles collected specimens, researched plant diseases, and documented flora in various media. Her legacy is reexamined through contemporary artists like Stephanie Tenasco, Deborah Margo, Marie-Jeanne Musiol, Barbara Brown, and Susan Geraldine Taylor, who celebrate women’s contributions to agriculture, ecology, and artistic expression. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Ottawa Art Gallery and Ingenium, utilizing Ingenium’s horticultural collection to deepen understanding of Fyles’s impact and uncover previously undocumented works.