The Society’s Records

Clara Cavanagh

← People of the Society · on record 1955–1984

Everything the Society’s own records say of Clara Cavanagh — the offices held, the standings conferred, and the awards won — gathered on one page. Where the records are silent, so is this one.

In memoriam · reported Autumn 1987

Founder of the Barrie Branch, whose adult night-school class became its nucleus in 1958; an Associate of the Society from 1955 and a Fellow from 1956 (her 1987 obituary gives 1953 and 1955), and for a term President of the Council of Fellows. The Autumn 1987 obituary (p. 4), by Kay Cloughley, gives no date of death, only that she had had little use of her right hand for four years beforehand "due to pain in her thumb" and worked on with her left; her husband Ken and daughter Helen are named. The page spells her surname with the extra u, Cavanaugh; the archive keeps Cavanagh, the spelling used in 145 of the 159 instances the Society printed of it.

From Summer/Fall 1987, page 4.

Also recorded as Clara Cavanaugh, Clara Vavanaugh, Clare Cavanagh, Mrs. C. Cavanagh

Branch

Barrie · recorded in the papers in 1958

Certification

Associate of the CSCL 1955
Fellow of the CSCL 1956

An early member of the Society, remembered among its legendary figures of the 1970s — the recollection that remembers her spells her name Clara Cavanaugh — her work won First Prizes in two C.N.E. leathercraft classes and a Third Prize in a third, all in 1969. Two pieces were chosen for “Ontario Crafts – Leather Today”, the Society’s Centennial travelling exhibition: a tote bag and a long shoe horn. The Canadian Guild of Crafts (Ontario) selected the articles; the exhibition opened at the Guild Shop on 2 October 1967 and was to travel across Canada during 1968. She showed three pieces at Leather '74, the Society's exhibition at the Toronto Public Libraries' Learning Resources Centre, 666 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, 3-28 June 1974. She was President of a branch in 1974, printed as Clare Cavanagh. She showed five pieces in the Society's exhibition at the Craft Gallery and Resource Centre of the Ontario Crafts Council, 346 Dundas Street West, Toronto, 2-28 March 1976, and five pieces at Leather '78, the Society's exhibition at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, 550 Burnhamthorpe Road, November 1978. She was made a Life Member of the Society in 1981, presented at the 31st Annual Meeting along with Viola Harris, Nora Huyck and Olivia Smith, and showed four pieces at Leather '82, the Society's exhibition at the City of Brampton Library and Art Gallery, Bramalea, 3 July to 1 August 1982.

From Winter 2005–2006, page 2; Fall 1967, page 9; Leather ’74 — exhibition catalogue, Toronto Public Libraries, page 5; Spring 1974, page 12; Exhibition catalogue 1976 — Craft Gallery of the Ontario Crafts Council, Toronto, page 5; Leather ’78 — exhibition catalogue, Etobicoke Civic Centre, page 5; 32nd Annual Meeting 1982 — programme, Holiday Inn West, Toronto, page 5; and Leather ’82 — exhibition catalogue, Brampton Public Library and Art Gallery, page 4.

Served the Society as

Council 1961–1979
C.N.E. Demonstrator 1962
Chairman Exhibitions Committee 1963
Executive Council 1963–1975
11th Assembly Demonstrator 1965
15th Assembly Demonstrator 1969
Chairman, Council of Fellows 1969–1970
Chairman Council of Fellows 1971
Council of Fellows Chair 1972
Barrie Branch President 1973
Chairman of Council of Fellows 1973
Branch President 1974
25th Annual Demonstrator 1975
27th Annual Demonstrator 1977
Leather '78 Exhibition Chairman 1978
Exhibition Chairwoman 1979

Honours

Life Membership 1981
Presented at the 1981 Annual Meeting, Beacon Motor Inn, Jordan Station (Vineland), Ontario, one of four Life Memberships given "to the following long-time members of the C.S.C.U. in recognition of their years of service to the Society."

Awards

Bramalea Ribbon, Leather '82 1982
C.N.E. Any carved leather article, commercial design — 1st 1969
C.N.E. Any carved leather article, original design — 3rd 1969
C.N.E. Any tooled leather article, commercial design — 1st 1969
C.N.E. Competitions 1962 - Leathercraft 1962
CSCL Executive Award 1980
Canadian Handicrafts Guild (Ontario) selection for the Dartmouth College exhibition 1967
Canadian Handicrafts Guild Competition First Prize 1962–1964
Canadian National Exhibition Chatelaine Award 1972
Canadian National Exhibition Competitions 1963
Canadian National Exhibition Competitions — Chatelaine Award 1963
Canadian National Exhibition Credit Note (Lewiscraft) 1970
Canadian National Exhibition First Prize 1965–1970
Canadian National Exhibition First Prize — Chatelaine Award 1965
Canadian National Exhibition Leathercraft Prize (Women's Division) 1974
Canadian National Exhibition Second Prize 1965
Canadian National Exhibition Third Prize 1965–1970
Canadian National Exhibition Women's Division 1972
Chatelaine Award 1970
Craftsman Award, 11th International Assembly 1965
Craftsman Ribbon 1967–1984
International Assembly Craftsmanship Ribbon 1963–1964
International Assembly Salon Ribbon 1962–1963
Leather '74 Honourable Mention 1974
Leather '76 Craftsman Award 1976
Leather '76 Salon Award 1976
Leather '82 Honourable Mention 1982
Pacific National Exhibition Prize 1962
Pacific National Exhibition Third Prize 1964
Salon Award 1967–1984
Salon Ribbon 1978–1983

Demonstrations given

Flower making 1959
9th Annual
From Spring 1959, page 4.
Lamp base covering 1960
10th Annual
From Spring 1960, page 4.
Flower Jewellery 1961
11th Annual
From Spring 1961, page 3.
Lamp Bases 1962
12th Annual
From Spring 1962, page 2.
Lamp assembly 1962
Barrie Branch, guests of the Hamilton Guild, 1962
From Winter 1962–63, page 11.
Jewellery 1963
13th Annual
From Autumn 1963, page 2.
Desk Set 1965
Barrie Branch meetings, 1964-65 season
From Spring 1965, page 3.
Unlaced Bookends 1965
15th Annual
From Spring 1965.
The construction of wallet interiors 1968
18th Annual
From Summer 1968, page 2.
Ring Note Books 1971
21st Annual
From Summer 1971, page 2.
Box Covering (Woodstock Branch, a two-day workshop in November) 1976
Branch meetings, autumn 1976
From Winter 1976–77, page 8.
Purse gussets, strap hangers 1976
26th Annual
From Summer 1976, page 6.

Where this comes from

This name in the index of people →