Mary Hiester Reid

Mary Augusta Hiester Reid who signed her name M. H. Reid (10 April 1854 – 4 October 1921) was an American-born Canadian painter and teacher. She was best known as a painter of floral still lifes, some of them called "devastatingly expressive" by a contemporary author, and by 1890 she was thought to be the most important flower painter in Canada. She also painted domesticated landscapes, night scenes, and, less frequently, studio interiors and figure studies. Her work as a painter is related in a broad sense to Tonalism and Aestheticism or "art for art's sake".

She was made a member of the Ontario Society of Artists in 1887, and in 1907 became only the second woman to serve on its executive committee. She was elected to join the Canadian Society of Applied Art in 1904. The lectures at PAFA were coeducational, and this is likely where the couple began their courtship. They were married in May of 1885 in Mary's hometown. Although they both attended art school, Mary was restricted to traditionally feminine themes, and in turn became known for her flower paintings. Despite the expectations for women to remain at home and care for children, Mary rose to prominence and became one of the first women to have her work included in the National Gallery of Canada. and at the exhibitions of the Ontario Society of Artists and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, the Art Association of Montreal, the Women's Art Association of Canada, and the Canadian National Exhibition. It included 308 works. In 2021, the Art Gallery of Ontario exhibited The Open Door: Mary Hiester Reid and Helen McNicoll.

Selected public collections Metropolitan Museum, New York; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; Art Gallery of Hamilton; Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa; Art Windsor-Essex; Museum London; Agnes Etherington Art Centre;Kingston University of Lethbridge;