Women's Art Society of Montreal
"The WOMEN’S ART SOCIETY OF MONTREAL was founded in 1894 by two Montreal women, Mrs. James H. Peck (nee Mary Alice Skelton) and Mary Martha (May) Phillips, with the goal of integrating women into the art world at a time in history when women had few rights and were relegated to other roles. The parent body was incorporated in Toronto in 1892.
In the mid-nineteenth century, women were not considered to be serious contributors to the field of art and had enormous difficulty obtaining a public showing, some even having to hide their true identities for fear of social recrimination.
Mary Peck was the first president (1894-1896) of the Montreal branch of the Women’s Art Association and remained on the Executive Committee for several years. Phillips, herself a talented painter and teacher, succeeded Peck as the president in 1897 and served in this capacity until 1906.
In 1907, the Montreal branch of the Women’s Art Association of Canada broke away from the mother organization based in Toronto to form their own independent Women’s Art Society of Montreal."