It is with sadness that we announce the death of Professor Emeritus Dennis Reid on April 30, 2023. Dennis’ professional journey began at the University of Toronto, where he completed his BA (Hons) in Fine Arts in 1966 followed by his MA in the History of Art in 1967. He began his teaching career at the University of Toronto as a visiting lecturer in 1977, having previously served as Curator of Post-Confederation Canadian Art at the National Gallery of Canada and Special Instructor and Adjunct Professor at Carleton University, and rose to the rank of Full Professor in 1987.
Dennis' record of achievement was outstanding and he was highly regarded as a leading expert in Canadian art with particular emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He was the author of numerous publications, including A Concise History of Canadian Painting, a text that has been in publication for more than 30 years and is considered the definitive volume on the art of Canada. Dennis also served various roles in his over 30-year career at the Art Gallery of Ontario, including Curator of Canadian Historical Art, Senior Curator of Canadian Art, Chief Curator, Director of Collections & Research, and Chief Curator of Research.
Dennis received multiple awards over his career including being named a Member of the Order of Canada (1998), Honorary Fellow of the Ontario College of Arts and Design (2000), receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Lethbridge (2001), and recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).
A full obituary for Dennis can be found here, as published in the Globe and Mail.