Home Economics: A Celebration of Canadian Women in the 20th Century When I began this project in the summer of 1997, I knew I wanted to make a personally significant work of art to mark the Millennium. It was a gift to the women in our family to help us understand where we've come from and to celebrate how far we've progressed. In the process, I came to understand that many of the decisions we make in life are not deliberate but result from the economic, social and political events of the times. It is how we cope with events beyond our control that is a measure of our lives. With the completion of this series I have not only learned so much about our Canadian history but also I have achieved great personal and artistic satisfaction. I wanted my art to communicate. People were initially captivated by the sculptures but when they realized the social history unfolding, they started to tell their own stories. As I had hoped, "Home Economics" gets people talking. "Home Economics" has been seen by hundreds of people through more than three months of exhibitions and well-attended lectures. The invitation to exhibit in our National Parliament buildings was an extraordinary honour. The journey taken with this project is a story unto itself. With the destruction of the 30’s, Drought and Depression, in an exhibition in 2001, the question of whether to continue to try to find a home for a 27 ft. installation became a reality. Without a purchaser, my heart was not into replacing the 30’s. I decided to offer the pieces as separate works of art and found new homes for two of them. I continued to use my lecture as an educational and inspirational medium. Without fail, people would lament the breaking up of the series. The wonderful gentleman who purchased the first lady has recently stepped and purchased the remaining seven. Some how, some way, these women will continue to tell their stories. I have kept my original website intact as an archive for this project. If we’re to understand where we’re going, it’s important to know where we’ve been. Enjoy!