A niece’s love of her late aunt’s art and creativity became the springboard for ‘A Retrospective of the Diverse Art of Gwen Cann (1927-2006), Artist and Educator’ which officially opens at the Masterworks Foundation’s Rose Garden Gallery on Friday.

A woman who explored many facets of art, from oils and watercolours to macramé, origami and bobbin lace, Ms Cann left behind a large body of work at her death last year. Some pieces had been seen before, but much of it had not, and Conchita Ming felt it was time to remind the public of her late aunt’s talents.

“I felt there were so many people who did not remember her work because she had been ill for so long before she died, so I approached Masterworks who have been just wonderful in agreeing to hold this exhibition,” Mrs. Ming said. “Tom Butterfield is just so passionate about celebrating Bermudians, and I am terribly grateful that he has offered this space.”

In fact, Mrs. Ming, who is co-ordinating the retrospective, says that many others are equally excited about Ms Cann’s work going on show, particularly former colleagues who taught with her at Bishop Spencer School.

“They were saying that there are so many young people who attended Bishop Spencer who had a great advantage in having a huge art experience. Apparently my aunt would make up her own plays and write all the music. In fact, the teachers have been trying to get in touch with a number of former students to try and draw them out for the exhibition, which is exciting. And one of her sisters and her brother are coming to Bermuda for the exhibition.

Ms Cann was the first and only headmistress of Bishop Spencer School, and was passionate about exposing her students to all forms of art, including them macrame, puppetry, and weaving.

A former teacher at Bishop Spencer recalls Ms Cann as being “the best principal ever”.

“She was open, creative and really cared about the children, doing whatever she needed to do for them, even feeding and clothing them. She taught them about life.”

Anything and everything was a possible candidate for inclusion in Ms Cann’s creations, and she loved found objects — shells, driftwood, fibre, string and more.

“She used to collect glass from the glass beach at Dockyard, so a lot of her pieces are from there,” Mrs. Ming says.

Educated at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, and at Western Reserve (now Case Western Reserve) University in Cleveland, Ohio, Ms Cann became a lifelong student of art, taking puppetry classes in Hawaii, weaving classes in Kansas, and sculpting classes with Bylee Lang. She spun and dyed wool from local sheep which she then used in her art pieces. She also became an origami master, and when she was in what her niece calls her “origami phase”, Ms Cann would be forever folding paper wherever she went. “She would get excited about different mediums and learn everything about each one. Her home was filled with books on art,” Mrs. Ming recalls.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that she co-ordinated an exhibition which will feature a wide variety of art, including water colours, oils, bobbin lace, macramé and dolls.

Gwendolyn Delores Cann was born in Xenia, Ohio to Bermudian father Dr. Braxton F. Cann, Sr. and mother Reber. Arriving in Bermuda in 1959, she married well-known lawyer and politician Walter N.H. Robinson, a second marriage for both.

Active in Bermuda’s artistic community, Ms Cann was a member of and exhibitor at the Bermuda Society of Arts. She taught art at Casemates Prison and the Prison Farm, and gave art classes in her home.

‘A Retrospective of the Diverse Art of Gwen Cann (1927-2006), Artist and Educator’ opens to the public on March 2 and continues through March 15. For further information visit website www.bermudamasterworks.com or call 236-2950.