The original Beaver Hall Group was founded in 1920 with A.Y. Jackson, a founding member of the Group of Seven, as president. The group was named after their studio space at 305 Beaver Hall Hill in Montreal. Their first important exhibition in 1921 included the works of the founding members and other artists that were invited to join the group. Some of the 19 participating artists were Adrien Hebert, Randolph Hewton, Edwin Holgate, A.Y. Jackson, Prudence Heward, Mabel Lockerby, Henrietta Mabel May, Lilias Torrance Newton, Hal Ross Perrigard, Robert Pilot, Adrien Hebert, Sybil Robertson, Albert H. Robinson, Anne Savage, Adam Sheriff Scott, Ethel Seath, Regina Seiden.  The duration of this group lasted only about 2 years due to financial constraints but in this short period had made a major contribution to painting in Canada.  

The friendship among the women artists from this group remained close and they became known as the Beaver Hall Women. They remained at the studio for another 2 years. The women were all from or near Montreal and had studied at the Art Association of Montreal with William Brymner: Nora Collyer, Emily Coonan, Prudence Heward, Mabel Lockerby, Henrietta Mabel May, Kathleen Morris, Lilias Torrance Newton, Sarah Robertson, Anne Savage and Ethel Seath. Lilias Torrance Newton painted most of the famous people of that time. Prudence Heward is mostly remembered as a portraitist too. Anne Savage is predominately a landscape painter of the places she loved. Today the works of these women artists are some of the most sought after Canadian paintings.