Accession 86-4 - Margaret Messer

Margaret Messer was born in Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan and moved with her family to Saskatoon where she attended public and high school. She graduated from Nutana Collegiate and the University of Saskatchewan receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1939 and a Bachelor of Education degree in 1942.

She did graduate work throughout Canada, the United States and Europe and obtained a Masters of Arts degree in Fine Art Education from Columbia University in New York 1958.

For 23 years Margaret was involved in many of the dramatic and musical productions put on at Balfour Technical School in Regina where she taught commercial art and played a major role in the organization and opening of its present art department.

In 1966 she was appointed Assistant Professor of art education at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus. Margaret remained with the Faculty of Education until 1973.

Messer was actively involved in several organizations. She was a chartered member of the Canadian College of Teachers, an honorary member of the Saskatchewan Technical Teachers Association and the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, a member of the Canadian Society for Education through Art, the University's Women's Club and the National Art Education Association (USA). She was also past president and secretary for the Regina Local of the Saskatchewan Society for Education through Art and the first woman president of the Saskatchewan Historical Society.

In 1986 Margaret Messer designed many of the stained glass windows for St. Matthew's Anglican Church located in Regina and while she was interested in history and of Saskatchewan artists as well as the settlement of the province she wrote several articles which were published in the Regina Leader Post, she also illustrated many books and journals including historical books, instructional books on sewing, children's colouring books and also science workbooks.