The 52: Stories of Women Who Transformed Toronto
52% of Torontonians are women. It's time we tell their
Image: Myseum of Toronto.
Jeanne Parkin is a proponent of public Canadian art. In 2006, the City of Toronto awarded Parkin with a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating her decades-long contributions to the visual arts scene of Toronto.
Born in 1922 | Art & Collections Specialist and Curator
After completing a Masters in Art History at Harvard University, Jeanne Parkin began her career as Head of Circulating Exhibitions and Adult Education at the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario) in 1947. At the gallery, she would join the Women’s Committee, an all women’s volunteer group that worked tirelessly to fundraise and help the gallery build a significant collection of art works. Parkin’s career would lead her to working on large scale public art projects around the city, like Art in the Subway in 1974.
Eventually Parkin established her own company, Jeanne Parkin Arts Management Ltd., where she aided private corporations and institutions in building their own art collections and launching arts-based initiatives.
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The 52: Stories of Women Who Transformed Toronto
52% of Torontonians are women. It's time we tell their stories.
Marcus Garvey and the UNIA
Learn how --
Winners & Losers
Sports Histories of Toronto
Meet The 52
Explore the full list of 52 remarkable women that make up the foundation of our multi-year project.
Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu has raised the global profile of tennis for Canadians. As one of the youngest winners of a Grand Slam singles title, Andreescu is the highest-ranked Canadian in Women’s
Beatrice Worsley
Beatrice Worsley is recognized as Canada’s first female computer scientist. Her lifetime of research and work in the field were at the forefront of Canada’s burgeoning computer science sector.
Menaka Thakkar
Menaka Thakkar established Canada’s first professional Indian dance company in 1978. Thakkar blended different cultural dance styles to co-create a performance called “East Meets West” in which she bridged cultural
Kathleen Taylor
Kathleen Taylor breaks ground no matter what industry she stands in. An accomplished business leader, her career continues to break barriers and light the way for women at major corporate
Emily Stowe
Emily Stowe was a founder of the Canadian Women’s Suffrage Association and the first female physician to publicly practice medicine in Ontario.
Min Sook Lee
Min Sook Lee is an industry-recognized filmmaker who advocates for social justice at the intersection of art and social change through her films and professorship at OCAD University.