The Artist

Cheryl-Ann Webster is a Canadian clay artist and retired Clinical Art Therapist whose practice explores how emotion can take physical form.

With a background in ceramics, art and design, culture and communication, and clinical art therapy, her work brings together material experimentation with an ongoing interest in embodiment, memory, boundaries, resilience, and emotional experience.

She is best known for the Beautiful Women Project, a community engagement-focused exhibition of 120 life-size clay sculptures presented in solo exhibitions in 12 communities between 2006 and 2016, accompanied by workshops and presentations and reaching approximately 70,000 viewers and participants.

Today, Webster works from her studio on Vancouver Island, developing sculptural vessels through her Sculpting Emotions practice — allowing form, surface, void, weight, and material to give physical presence to experiences that are often difficult to name.

The Process

Each piece begins with a moment — a feeling, a memory, or a question.

Through coil-throwing, handbuilding, and sculpting, the work unfolds through building, marking, and refining. Clay becomes a place where pressure, movement, fracture, and repair are made visible.

What emerges is not simply form, but a trace of experience — held, shaped, and made visible.

Exhibitions & Recognition

A selection of exhibitions and recognitions that continue to shape Cheryl-Ann’s evolving sculptural practice.

  • The Beautiful Women Project is a landmark body of work consisting of 120 life-size clay sculptures exploring body image, identity, and lived experience.

    Exhibited across Canada between 2006 and 2018, the project created space for dialogue around self-perception, resilience, and the diversity of the human form. It was presented in galleries, museums, and public venues, engaging audiences in both artistic and community-based contexts.

    Selected exhibitions include:

    • Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, ON (2010)

    • Cambridge YWCA, Cambridge, ON (2013)

    • Southampton Art School & Gallery, Southampton, ON (2011)

    • Arthur Child Heritage Museum, Gananoque, ON (2009)

    • St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre, St. Thomas, ON (2008)

    • Downtown Arts Centre, Hamilton, ON (2008)

    • Cambridge Centre for the Arts, Cambridge, ON (2007)

    • Studio Gallery, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON (2006)

    • Cornwall Regional Art Gallery, Cornwall, ON (2006)

      This project marked a defining chapter in Cheryl-Ann’s practice and continues to inform her current work in sculptural form and emotional expression.

  • Selected Juried Exhibitions

    Cheryl-Ann’s work has been included in juried exhibitions across Canada, spanning galleries, artist-run centres, and institutional spaces.

    These exhibitions reflect an ongoing engagement with themes of identity, material expression, and the human experience across both sculptural and mixed media work.

    Selected exhibitions include:

    • Cre8try Gallery, Winnipeg, MB — Green Sky

    • Fibre Arts Collective, Port Hope, ON — Fibre Delights

    • Ottawa Children’s Aid Society, Ottawa, ON — About Me

    • Breaking Down the Walls of Silence, West Ottawa, ON — All About Me

    • Tulip Art Garden, Ottawa, ON — Spirit of the BWP

    • Salle Augustin-Chénier, Ville-Marie, QC — BIAM

    • Broken Fence Society, Toronto, ON — Harmony Vessel

    • Craft Council of Newfoundland & Labrador — Voyage

    • Tom Thomson Gallery, Owen Sound, ON — Convergence

    • Arbor Gallery, Vankleek Hill, ON — Harvest

    • Tay River Gallery, Perth, ON — Rhythm

    • Fusion: Clay & Glass, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON — Fusion

    • St. Paul’s University, Ottawa, ON — Images of Adoption

      These exhibitions form part of an early and evolving body of work that continues to inform her current sculptural practice.

  • Recognition & Grants

    Cheryl-Ann’s work has been recognized through awards, residencies, and arts funding across Canada, reflecting both her creative practice and community engagement.

    Highlights include:

    • Body Confidence Canada Award (2016) — Community Arts

    • Deloitte Women of Influence Award (2009) — Winner, Ottawa Region

    • CNE Featured Artist (2010) — Toronto

    • Artist in Residence, Southampton Art School & Gallery (2011)

    • Best in Show, Tay River Gallery, Perth, ON (2003)

    • Girls Inc. of Upper Canada — Nominee, Strong, Smart & Bold Award (2009)

    Her work has also been supported through grants, including:

    • Ontario Arts Council — Exhibition Assistance Grants (2005, 2006)

    • Kingston Women’s Art Festival — Production & Curriculum Development Grants (2005, 2006)

    • Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation — Artist Startup Grant (2004)

    These recognitions supported the development of an early body of work centred on identity, community, and lived experience.

Speaking & Media

A selection of speaking, teaching, and media contributions exploring the intersection of art, therapy, and lived experience.

  • Cheryl-Ann has delivered over 400 workshops, lectures, and keynote presentations across Canada, speaking to audiences ranging from small, intimate groups to conferences of over 1,000 participants.

    Her work bridges art, psychology, and lived experience — creating spaces where creativity becomes a pathway to reflection, resilience, and connection.

  • Cheryl-Ann’s work has been shared through books, collaborative publications, and creative contributions that extend the reach of her sculptural and community-based practice.

    Books

    Beautiful Women Project — The Book (2008; Second Edition, 2009)

    Cheryl-Ann Webster & Laurie Gordon

    Beautiful Women Project Paintable Colouring Books, Volumes 1–3 (2016)

    Selected Contributions

    A Woman’s Guide to Building a Girl’s Healthy Body Image and Self-Esteem — YWCA (Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo)

    Still a Girl Inside — Valerie Westgate (DVD, 2007)

    Reflections of a Woman: My Memoir of Breast Cancer — Loss, Love & Laughter — Lisa Tugnette (Audiobook, 2007)

    Sleeping Body (and Her Prince the Abject) — Kathryn Travis (Honours Thesis, 2006)

    Optional softer closing line (only if you want it):

    These publications reflect an ongoing commitment to sharing work that supports reflection, dialogue, and embodied understanding.Cheryl-Ann’s work has been shared through books, collaborative publications, and creative contributions that extend the reach of her sculptural and community-based practice.

    Books

    • Beautiful Women Project — The Book (2008; Second Edition, 2009)
      Cheryl-Ann Webster & Laurie Gordon

    • Beautiful Women Project Paintable Colouring Books, Volumes 1–3 (2016)

    Selected Contributions

    • A Woman’s Guide to Building a Girl’s Healthy Body Image and Self-Esteem — YWCA (Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo)

    • Still a Girl Inside — Valerie Westgate (DVD, 2007)

    • Reflections of a Woman: My Memoir of Breast Cancer — Loss, Love & Laughter — Lisa Tugnette (Audiobook, 2007)

    • Sleeping Body (and Her Prince the Abject) — Kathryn Travis (Honours Thesis, 2006)

    These publications reflect an ongoing commitment to sharing work that supports reflection, dialogue, and embodied understanding.

  • Media

    Cheryl-Ann’s work has been featured across national media, publications, and broadcast platforms.

    She is the co-author of The Beautiful Women Project — The Book and creator of the Beautiful Women Project colouring book series.

    Her work has been featured on television, radio, and in print — including coverage connected to CTV, Canadian Living, The Globe & Mail, and The Toronto Star.

Background & Practice

An integrated background in art, therapy, and communication — shaping a practice grounded in both material and human experience.

  • Cheryl-Ann’s early training began in the arts, forming the foundation of her sculptural practice.

    • B-Tec National Diploma in Ceramics — Lowestoft School of Art, England

    • National Diploma in Art & Design — Lowestoft School of Art, England

    • BA (Hons) Culture & Communication (Psychology, Sociology & Independent Studies)
      Lancaster University (UK) & Carleton University (Canada)

  • Cheryl-Ann is a Registered Canadian Art Therapist (RCAT #259-R-20), with extensive training in art therapy, coaching, and human development.

    • Clinical Art Therapy Diploma — Canadian International Institute for Art Therapy (CiiAT)

    • ICF Accredited Certified Coach (200+ hours) — Erickson Coaching International

    • Art & Science of Coaching, Modules 1–5 — Erickson College

    • Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner — NLP Canada & Erickson College

    • DISC Human Behaviour & Train the Trainer — Personality Insights, USA

  • Cheryl-Ann has undertaken extensive studies in communication and accessibility, reflecting a longstanding commitment to connection across diverse communities.

    • American Sign Language (Levels 1–7) — Carleton University, Algonquin College & Canadian Hearing Society

    • Interpreter Preparatory Programme (ASL) — Sign Lines Canada

    • British Sign Language (Stages 1–3) — Deaf Council, UK