Reflections from the artist on the 100th anniversary of women achieving the right to vote

Project chair Dr. Margot Duley and artist Sheila Coultas with the full-sized clay version of the statue, February 2025

In 2020, when Jenn Deon of Persistence Theatre made contact with Morgan MacDonald of the Newfoundland Bronze Foundry to look into the possibilities of this project, she was very concerned with the symbolism of it being a woman who made the piece, and was in fact inquiring of Morgan only if he knew of any women who he thought were skilled enough and capable of doing the work.  

As it turned out, I had been working with and learning from Morgan since early 2017.

I can certainly see the particular fitness of a woman making this monument, this year being the 100 anniversary of women achieving the right to vote, and finally being allowed to hold public office, essentially giving them the voice they so badly needed in how they managed in their own lives, in their families, their communities,  and society. 

After all, a society cannot thrive if half of its population is relegated to the shadows, discouraged from expressing their needs, unheard when they dared to, and not having them met, in many cases.

Since then we have come a long way. Many of us do enjoy the opportunities that our male counterparts do.

In all honesty, however, I did not think of Armine in terms of politics and I did not even aim to acknowledge feminism in my work. 

It was the natural power of the Divine Feminine that I thought of while I made an acquaintance with Armine. 

It was her ability to cross the usual divides of religion, class,  political leanings, and the varied responsibilities of life that this beautiful island and its often harsh living conditions made requisite. 

Armine had a voice, in spite of all the discouragement, and she used it to help other women find the courage to use theirs.

We have arguably come to a point where our accomplishments as women are acknowledged and seen alongside our male peers, as endeavours and triumphs of note are now rewarded in ways that someone like Armine could only have dreamed of when she and so many of the women of this land fought simply to be heard. 

I think that if we forget to be grateful for that, we cease to fight for and protect it.
  
My own mother, Frances Ennis, for example has earned herself recognition for her work in Women’s Rights, and Adult Literacy, at both the provincial level with the Order Of Newfoundland and Labrador, and also with the Governor General’s Person’s Case Award, to speak of just a couple of her noteworthy achievements.

That being the case, my sisters and I were raised to not let the barriers of the past stop us from endeavouring to make our lives as full as we could. 

We have all, in our different ways, found niches in which we could excel and enjoy successes our predecessors were denied.  

And it has been my personal endeavour to collect skills for use in art without reference to what others may have considered limitations, such as my gender, or my age.

And so, in my 35th year, given the times, and the work of so many before me, I had the opportunity to avail of services like the Orientation to Trades and Technology*, subsequently choosing the trade of welding, finding it of interest as a potential art medium. 

It is interesting  how we are guided when we listen to the promptings of fate. 

There were so many possibilities to choose from in skilled trades, but choosing to learn the trade of welding guided me through difficulties I had never imagined before. 

However, I pushed through and attained the President’s Award for Excellence on my entry level graduation, and the James Sellars’ Award, encouraging me to go on to gain my Red Seal / Journeyperson’s status. 

It was an important part of my life because, like so many I met on that journey, I overcame significant challenges to attain these achievements, making the success that much more poignant.

There is so much to learn in the experiences offered by life, especially when we choose to step outside the bounds of the expectations set by things like gender.

I often say: the magic happens on the other side of that thing we fear to do, but know is right and true.

I can now tell you that working in a male-dominated industry - as the female diversity hire - is not easy. 

But I can also tell you that it got me to where I am, a Red Seal welder, working as a sculptor and Foundry Technician at the Newfoundland Bronze Foundry, and having been afforded an opportunity most in my circles could only dream of: being the first woman to make a full-sized bronze public statue in Newfoundland and Labrador.
 
That it is of Armine Nutting Gosling, a woman who made it possible for me to BE the woman to depict her, makes it a perfect circle.

- Sheila Coultas

*The Orientation to Trades and Technology (OTT) is a 16-week program developed in conjunction with Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) to give women or individuals who are gender-diverse the opportunity to explore trade and technology sectors.  The program offers a safe and supportive environment for individuals to explore training programs while concurrently developing essential skills to advance their professional careers. The program aims to raise awareness of careers in the exciting, challenging, and high-paying trades and technology industries.
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