Margaret Hamilton, on her 92nd birthday in August of 2017.Image submitted

The Works of Margaret Macmillan, almost 97, Will Be Featured

Macmillan will be at Ah! on May 21 from noon til 2 p.m.

Article by Sue Dickens with media release from Ah!

Warkworth – “My granny is an accomplished artist who has been painting for 70+ years,” said Melissa Smeets.

She was talking about Margaret Macmillan who is having an exhibition of her paintings at the Arts and Heritage Centre in Warkworth.

Exhibition poster

The exhibition is called “A View from my Window,” and opens Saturday, May 21, and continues until July 10.

“Now almost 97, she’s has degrees from Ontario College of Art, University of Toronto and Trent University. The last two she received in the 1990s when she was in her 60’s and 70’s,” Smeets added, with pride.

Jill Koplowitz, Macmillan’s daughter, said, “I have so often sat in front of this window in my mum’s house and looked out at this view.” She said talking about the painting featured in the poster for the exhibition.

“The Ah Gallery in Warkworth first approached us two years ago asking if the show could be held but then COVID struck. Now that the gallery has been able to open they have made it happen. Mum started painting in 1949 when she was expecting my sister. The smell of turpentine told us that Mum was at work. Many of the places that she painted or drew no longer exist, such as the old Campbellford cloth mill,” Koplowitz added.

Margaret Macmillan is a fifth generation Canadian, descended from an old United Loyalist family. Her grandmother was a Humphries and a cousin of Israel Humphries, Warkworth’s first postmaster. She was born in Peterborough in 1925 and grew up in Norwood. She married Hector Macmillan, a wireless air gunner with the RCAF, in 1943.

Macmillan began painting in 1949. Locally, she studied under Paavo Airola and Peter Kolysnik. She applied to attend The Ontario College of Art in 1975, and when her work was reviewed, they were so impressed she was granted a one-year exemption from the four-year course because of her “excellent colour sense”. She eagerly enrolled in Experimental Arts, graduating in 1978. She also earned a B.A from Trent University in 1994 and a B.Ed. from University of Toronto in 1999.

Many of Macmillan’s works are of local landscapes and buildings over the last 70 years, depicting historical snippets of the times. Macmillan’s work is abstract impression, working with bold colours and lively shapes, in many media including oil, acrylic, water colour and pencil. As well, she has experimented in many other mediums including pastels, mixed media, print making and fabric design. Over the years she has been recognized for her work, winning many awards.

“The Ah! Centre is so proud and honoured to feature local resident and painter Margaret Macmillan.”

There will be an official opening attended by Margaret Macmillan, her daughter and her granddaughter on Sat., May 21. She is a resident of Burnbrae Gardens Nursing Home in Campbellford. “Granny will be at the gallery from noon until 2 p.m.,” said Smeets.

For more information: [email protected]

About the Ah! Centre:

The centre is open Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Given that Ah! operates in a small space and relies on volunteers to staff the gallery:

  • Maximum attendance is restricted at any one time to allow for social distancing of two metres between non-household visitors.
  • Visiting the gallery is by chance or appointment during regular gallery hours. We encourage making appointments at [email protected]
  • To accommodate all those who would like to visit, admission will be by timed entry.
  • Please do not bring food or drink into Ah!.
  • There is no public washroom.
  • Everyone must wear a mask that securely fits and covers nose and mouth while in the gallery.

Editor’s note: Margaret Macmillan’s late husband was mayor of Campellford in the 1980s. Their son, also named Hector, was mayor of Trent Hills, serving for four consecutive terms beginning in 2003 and he served as Warden of Northumberland County in 2007 and 2013.