Marion Nicoll (1909-1985) is a widely acknowledged and important founder of Alberta art and certainly one of a dedicated few that brought abstraction into practice in the province. Her life and career is a story of determination, of dedication to her vision regardless of professional or personal challenges. Nicoll became the first woman instructor hired at the Provincial Institute of Art and Technology (now the Alberta College of Art and Design) - and although limited to teaching craft and design, she became a significant mentor for generations of artists. Contributions by Ann Davis, Elizabeth Herbert, and Jennifer Salahub.

Anne Davies, PhD, has worked in most Canadian provinces, in American states, and overseas. She works with educators at every level—primary to post-secondary, as well as with parents. Anne is involved with schools and jurisdictions in multi-year projects, working closely with local educators. This allows her to help people find assessment-for-learning solutions that work in a specific context. Anne does sessions at home in the Comox Valley, and works with educators in various locations to provide workshops to meet local needs. She also works with professional development and instructional leaders. Anne has written and produced numerous multimedia resources and books, including Making Classroom Assessment Work and co-authoring the Knowing What Counts series. Her newest project is a multimedia resource titled The Facilitator's Guide to Classroom Assessment (K–12).

Ann Davis' profile page

Elizabeth Herbert is an independent curator and author.

Elizabeth Herbert's profile page

Jennifer Salahub is an art and craft historian teaching at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary.

Jennifer Salahub's profile page

Christine Sowiak is the curator of art at The Nickle Galleries at the University of Calgary.

Christine Sowiak's profile page