Drawing on a wealth of artistic expression, this book explores how the arts and artists have shaped Canadian national identity.

In On the Art of Being Canadian, Sherrill Grace traces how painters, writers, and filmmakers have shaped Canadian identity in three fields of representation that are staples in Canadian culture - the North, iconic national figures, and war. By telling stories in their chosen medium and genre about life here or about events and figures from the past, she shows that artists help us to understand the Canadian landscape and to create a shared history.