Martha Houston Memorial Award

She was well respected and the Martha Houston Memorial Award (in the advanced category) is juried every year through the provincial Alberta Community Art Clubs Association (ACACA).

Born in New Jersey, Martha Houston went to the University of Denver and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and French.  She moved to Canada and received her Certificate of Naturalization in May 1936.  Houston taught high school level English, French and Art, first in Magrath and after 1942 in High River, Alberta.  Among her many students was Joe Clark, later the 16th Prime Minister of Canada (1979-80). 

Her passion was watercolour; however, she also was known for her many linocut prints.  She was an avid outdoors person loving to swim and hike.  Not surprisingly, most of her work were of scenes from the Alberta foothills and mountains with many from her travels (Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Israel, and many others).

She spent eleven summers at the Banff School of Fine Arts, studying mostly under the direction of Walter J Phillips and on one occasion was given the Brewster award which allowed her to spend a week as a guest artist at the Sunshine Ski Lodge. Houston also took evening classes at the Alberta College of Art.  One of her pictures was purchased for the permanent collection of the University of Alberta and two were chosen by the CPR for use in their advertising. 

Martha Houston was one of the founding members of the Edmonton Branch of the Canadian Painters-Etchers and Engravers (CPE). Although called the Edmonton Branch, this satellite group drew its members from all over Western Canada.  She was an organizer of the High River Art Club and she exhibited throughout Alberta, at the Canadian National Exhibition (Toronto), the Royal Ontario Museum, the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede ‘Salon of Fine Arts’ for 1965 and had work published in Canadian Forum Magazine.