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Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft
1950–2026
CSCL·People·People of the Society·Gladys Riddell
The Society’s Records

Gladys Riddell

← People of the Society · on record 1966–2001

Everything the Society’s own records say of Gladys Riddell — 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 · 8 June 2006

A Fellow and Honourary Life Member, in her 96th year; a long-time Toronto member.

From Summer 2006.

Also recorded as G. Riddell, Mrs. G. Riddell, Mrs. G.E. Riddell

Standing

Toronto Branch Member 1979 · Life Member 1989 · Honourary Life Member 1997

Branch

Toronto · recorded holding office in 1971

Certification

  • Associate of the CSCL 1969
    Presented at the 19th Annual Meeting, Hamilton, by Mrs. Clara Cavanaugh (1969-spring p1).
  • Fellow of the CSCL 1972
    She was Chairman of the Toronto Branch in 1976. Elected Associate in 1969.

A long-time Toronto member who excelled at stacked-leather work and attended Executive Council meetings and Annuals well into her eighties; a fair and equitable judge at the Annuals. One piece chosen for “Ontario Crafts – Leather Today”, the Society’s Centennial travelling exhibition: a photo folder. 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; two 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; three pieces at Leather '78, the Society's exhibition at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, 550 Burnhamthorpe Road, November 1978; and two pieces at Leather '82, the Society's exhibition at the City of Brampton Library and Art Gallery, Bramalea, 3 July to 1 August 1982. Two pieces chosen for the Society’s 1985 Travelling Exhibition, from about sixty entries, by the judges Robert Muma, Paul Williams and Alison Parsons: a double picture frame in moulded cowhide, in a 3-D design, and a wallet of woven cowhide. She made a square for the CSCL Leather Quilt.

From Summer 2006; Fall 1998, page 2; Leather ’74 — exhibition catalogue, Toronto Public Libraries, page 6; Exhibition catalogue 1976 — Craft Gallery of the Ontario Crafts Council, Toronto, page 6; Leather ’78 — exhibition catalogue, Etobicoke Civic Centre, page 6; Leather ’82 — exhibition catalogue, Brampton Public Library and Art Gallery, page 5; Fall 1967, page 9; and Fall 1985, page 4.

Served the Society as

  • Executive Council 1966–1973
  • I.A.L.C. Executive 1966
  • 15th Assembly Demonstrator 1969
  • Toronto Branch President 1971–1982
  • Branch President 1974
  • 27th Annual Demonstrator 1977
  • Director 1982–1997
  • Council 1988
  • Director (Toronto) 1997

Honours

  • Honourary Life Membership
    A Fellow and Honourary Life Member of the Society.
  • Ontario Volunteer Service Award 2001
    Named on the Society's roll of Ontario Volunteer Service Award recipients. Presented at the 51st Annual (2001) — Kehoe and Chynoweth in attendance; Corbett, Riddell, Kemp named among "four others" honoured the same year.
  • Life Membership 1985
    Presented at the 35th Annual Meeting by Membership Chairperson Hilda Chynoweth. Her profile in the same issue (Fall 1985, p11) adds: over twenty years as an exhibitor, demonstrator, Toronto Branch President for over a dozen years, and C.N.E. Show Chairman alongside Jack Meharg and George McPhail; trained early by Don MacKinnon and by Fred Brown at Central Technical School.
  • Michigan Artists Award for Most Original Entry 1976
    Won at the Leather '76 Show, held at the Ontario Crafts Council's new building, for a solid leather ship. Reported retrospectively in her Fall 1985 Life Membership profile (p12), which also lists her regular Annual and Biennial entries during her retirement from Bell.

Awards

  • Bramalea Ribbon, Leather '82 1982
  • C.N.E. Any carved leather article, original design — 2nd 1969
  • C.N.E. Arts and Crafts, Women's Division 1975
  • C.N.E. Non-tooled leather article — 1st 1969
  • Canadian National Exhibition Second Prize 1970
  • Canadian National Exhibition Third Prize 1966
  • Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft Judges Special Award 1984
  • Chatelaine Award 1969
  • Craftsman Ribbon 1967–1987
  • Leather '76 Award 1976
  • Leather '76 Craftsman Award 1976
  • Leather '76 Salon Award 1976
  • Leather '78 Honourable Mention 1978
  • Salon Award 1968–1984
  • Salon Ribbon 1981

Demonstrations given

Where this comes from

This name in the index of people →