About Urban Shaman

*Above image Urban Shaman as it pretty much is today at 290 McDermot Ave location

MISSION STATEMENT
Urban Shaman is an Aboriginal artist-run centre dedicated to meeting the needs of artists by providing a vehicle for artistic expression in all disciplines and at all levels by taking a leadership role in the cultivation of Indigenous art.

VISION
Urban Shaman presents contemporary Indigenous Aboriginal art with integrity while remaining rooted in our diverse Aboriginal cultures.

MANDATE
Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art is a nationally recognized leader in Aboriginal arts programming and one of the foremost venues and voices for Aboriginal art in Canada. Our focus on developing new programming and new ways of presenting it have resulted in increased exposure and the expansion of our activities. Urban Shaman is dedicated to the Aboriginal arts community and arts community at large.

• Committed to serving the needs of emerging, mid-career, and established Aboriginal artists through exhibitions and associated programming, workshops, residencies and curatorial initiatives.
• Dedicated to contributing to art historical and cultural critical discourses on a local, national, and international level.
• Committed to facilitating artistic production, education, and appreciation of contemporary art as an important and empowering tool for Aboriginal peoples.

Admission to the gallery is free.

[shooger-koht-ed] / ZiizibaakwadAgoke / Ésíwinikátéki

English / Ojibwe / Cree

Curatorial Statement / Niigaan Ikidowin / Okinawénicikéw opíkiskwéwin:

Out of the twenty thousand to one hundred thousand words the typical English speaking adult knows, the word sugarcoated is a go-to description used by different people in different situations to describe the rhetoric surrounding indigenous rights. Many agree. From works of four artists, our attention sways between the different thoughts and emotions that are felt when unpacking that sugar coated language. The selected artworks are only a few prototypes of basic level categories of indigenous cognition that are often omitted in consideration in interpretations of reality. Throughout the exhibition, the viewer is given one key piece of information and is to then build on those word relationships producing many different possibilities of discourse. The works of Catherine Forest displays the human condition in three different ceramic projects.  New works by Bret Parenteau draws from our semantic memory with different schemas through ensembles of auditory and visual imagery.  Scott Benesiinaabandan’s phonetic approach brings to light the word sounds of nature vs. nurture. And new work from Jessica Canard’s mixed media practice, whole words beaded in syllabics on canvas offering hope for the future of indigenous language preservation despite its oppression.

Imaa onji niizhing niishtana daswaak akoo ningodwaak midaaswaak ikidowinan, mii minik awiya aabajitood zhaaganaashiimod. Iwe ji-minwaadaman ekidong dazhindamowaad Anishinaabe ogashki’ewiziwiniwaan. Niibowe debwetamoog. Niiwin omazinichigeg, bebakaan gidayinendaamin apii gagetin dazhindamang gegoon waawiimaajimong. Gaa-gagiiginigaadegin ji-gikendamookeng aaniin ji-inaabanjigaadegiban gegoon gagetin ayizhisenig. Imaa Waabanda’iwewining, bezhigwewig miinaa ge-waabanjiged aaniin ayikidong aaniin gegoon inwaadegiban. Niswi gegoon Catherine Forest waabanda’iwe odoozhijiishkiwagining aaniin enaadizing. Bret Parentau odooshki-ozhichiganan mamikoonge bizinjiganiwing, waabanjiganing gaye. Zhigwa Scott Benesiinaabandan waabanda’iwe aaniin enitaagwak bagwaji-aya’ii dago ombitwaawin. Ishkwaach wiin Jessica Canard oginigawinaan bebakaan gegoon, ozhibii’iganan manidoominensikaadegin ji-bagosendaming ji-ganawenjigaadegin Anishinaabe inwewinan aanawi-gichiiwishkigaadegin.

Inikok anihi mámaw nísotanaw kici mitátomitamaw isko mitátomitanaw kici mitátomitanaw ká ayát ayamiwina ana Émistikósiw, anima itwéwin ká siwinikáték ayíw anima ká itakik ká isi nisitawinakik kákí wítamácik nanátok Anisininiwak nanátok ká isi nisitotakik anima ká isi paminit awa Ininiw anihi oci Kici Okimáwiwin asotamákéwina. Miscét tápwétamwak. Anihi ká ositácik kékwána néyo itowa otápasinahikéwak/onikamowak, ki natoténaw tánisi pá pakán ési mamitonénitamak éko étamaciskákoyak ispík mina ékwániw píkiskwéwina ékosi anima é isi ápataki. Ékwani óhi átit ká nókotániwaki tápasinahikana ékwani óhi piko átit ká isi ápataki ta nókotániwak tánisi ési nistomi nisitocikátéki anihi Ininíwi nisitawinamowina mána éká ká wícikátéki ispík nanátok wéká pakán ká isi kakwé wícikáték anihi ásay tapwénitamowi kiskénitamowina é takoki. Kakinaw ohi ká isi nókotániwaki nanátok tápasinahikana, ana ká kinawápatak péyak piko kéwán isi wápatinaw ta kiskénitak óma kékwániw ká kinawápatok, éko táti nakastát anihi isi kiskénitamowina ká isi wítamát inikok ta nisitotak óma tánisi pá pakán ési nókotániwaki óhi Ininíwi macipanihikona. Anihi ká ositát ana Catherine Frost ká iti nókotáw ékota tánisi óma ká isi kitimácihot awa Ininiw nisto anihi asiníy wanákana tápasinakéwina é ápacitát. Oskáyi kékwána kákí ositát Brad Parenteau ká itit nókotáw anihi ásay ká isi nisitotamak ékó ká isi kiskisiyak kékwána é ápacitát nanátowi nókotáwina ká isi pétákamotániwaki éko ká isi tápasinahikástéki. Scott Benesínábandan ká iti wína masinaham kita nisitotamonániwaniki tánisi óma ké ititákok pakwacáyik inikok kita moci wítaman wéká kita pétákamotáyan nántaw isi. Éko anihi oskáyi ositáwina kákí pétát Jessica Canard kákí mámawi ápacitát ta nókotát káwí itwét, Ininíwi ayamiwina é míkisistayikáték nakástimonékinok wina é pakosénimot óma kita kinawénicikátek kinowés kita ápatak anima Ininíwi píkiskwéwin kiyán wina ina piko inikok éká ké isi kiskénitakok é isi kisténitakok kiyápic.

Curated by / Niigaanitan / Kákí masinahak kita kinawénitak

Janell Henry

Biographies / Debaajimindwaa / Awina kákípé itatoskénitakosit

Catherine Forest graduated from St Pierre Collegiate, MB in 2009 and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Brandon University in 2014. Her thesis exhibition, Connect the Drops (2014), surrounded the theme of water; it’s importance to our survival and our responsibilities to take care of the resources that sustain us and all other ecological systems of the earth. Forest’s practice is primarily in ceramics and drawing. She sells her crafts of her ceramics, prints and originals of oil paintings, pointillism drawing and cards under the name Terra Catta.

Catherine Forest ogii-giizhitoon St. Pierre Collegiate, omaa Manitoba, 2009 gaa-akiiwang. Gii-miinaa iwe Bachelor or Fine Arts, Brandon University gii-gikino’amawind, 2014 gaa-akiiwang. Odoozhibii’igan, Connect the Drops (2014) ogii-dibaadodaan nibi, aaniin ezhi-ondaaji’owang aaniin gaye ji-naagajitooyang wendaadizing omaa akiing. Forest wiin ozhijiishkiwaginiged, mazinibii’iged gaye. Adaawaage odoozhichiganan, omazinibii’igewinan zhigwa mazina’iganensan Terra Catta izhinikaanidizod.

Catherine Forest kí kísitáw nistom okiskinahótowin anté oci St Pierre Collegiate, MB, 2009 éko kí ati kaskitáw ékí kísitát anima Bachelor of Fine Arts anté oci Brandon University 2014. Anima Connect the Drops (2014) ká itakik, wésám piko nipíniw kí ápacitáw ta nókotát anima ká iténitak, ká isi kisténitákok óma nipíniw ki pimácihonaw oci éko kínawaw kí pakamiskákonaw óma ta nákacitáyak ékwéniw ta mino nitáhikiyak óta éko mina kakinaw kékwána ká oci nitáhikiki éko pimácihómakaki óta askík. Awa Forest ká ápacitát wésám piko nanátok é masinahistákéki wanákanisa wéká étápasinahikét. Atáwákéw anihi kákí ositát wanákanisa, nanátok otápasinahikéwina wíniwin Terra Cátta é ápacitát.

Jessica Canard is a Multimedia Visual Artist with a focus on creating murals and making art with people. Born and currently based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she creates art full time since completing her Bachelor of Business and Administration degree from the University of Winnipeg in June 2017. With her art practice she wants to share skills, ideas, and experiences through the creation or facilitation of art. Her roots are from Sagkeeng First Nation where she uses art to explore, reclaim, and bridge this part of her heritage with urban living. Jessica knew what she loved at a young age and has followed that passion which led her to facilitating art workshops for youth at the age of 17 for Graffiti Art Programming Inc. as a way of giving back for all the opportunities she has received. In 2012, at the age of 21 her personal work was purchased by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in partnership with the Michaelle Jean Foundation, at 24 she created her first out of province collaborative mural for Unceded Voices: Anti-Colonial Street Artists Convergence, and at 27 she created her first international mural commissioned by the University of Arizona’s Women’s Resource Centre.

Jessica Canard bebakaan mazinaatesenigin gegoon, wiijichigemaad bebakaan awiya. Gii-nitaawigi Winnipeg, Manitoba mii imaa megwaa eyaad endazhiikang odoozhichiganan. Gii-giizhitood iwe Bachelor of Business and Administration mazina’igan, University of Winnipeg onji, June 2017 gaa-akiiwang. Ezhi-gashki’ewizid, noonde-wiiji’iwe bebakaan izhi mazinibii’igewin gemaa waabanda’iwewinan. Sagkeeng ishkonigan odaanaang onjii, mii iwe wenji-noonde-wiijitood awiyag gaa-ayaawaad oodenaang. Jessica ogii-gikendaan wegonen gaa-jiikendang oshkaadizid, mii gaa-izhi-niigaaniitang waabanda’iwewinan 17 daso-bibooned, Graffiti Art Programming Inc. ogii-anokiitawaa’, miigwechiwitang minik gaa-bi-izhi-maminosed. 2012 gaa-akiiwang, 21 dasobibooned, gii-adaawem odoozhichigan, Canadian Museum for Human Rights wiijichigemaawaad Michaelle Jean Foundation gii-adaawewag. 24 dasobibooned, agwaji-manitoba gii-wiidanokii’iwe Unceded Voices: Anti-Colonial Street Artists Convergence gii-ijigaade, zhigwa 27 apiitizid, ogii-ozhitoon nitam miziwekamig mazinichigan University of Arizona’s Women’s Resource Centre gii-diba’amowaad.

Jessica Canard awa mistahi kékwána ápacitáw énókotát anima ká iténitak anté isi tápasinahikéwina émámisáki ta nókoki wáskahikanik éko Ininiwak é nókosicik nántaw é yá itótakik. Ékí nitáhikit éko kiyápic óta otatoskéw Winnipeg, Manitoba, éko tápitawi tápasinastahikéw aspin kákí kísitát anima okiskinahótowin Bachelor of Business and Administration Degree anté oci University of Winnipeg, June 2017. Anima ká itatoskéwákét otápasinahikéwin natawénitam óma ta anísko pakitinak anihi ká isi kaskitát, iténitak éko kákípé isi wápatak anté isi ta ositániwaki tápasinahikéwina wéká ékosi kita isi níkánístak. Otákomákana kipé ocíniw Sagkeeng First Nation éko ékwánima ápacitáw ta natokiskénitak, kítwámamacihot, éko táti nisitotak ékwéniw tánisi kékí isi minwápacitát óta óma ká ayát itáwinik. Jessica awa kí kiskénitam kékwán kákípé sákitát mékwác é oskátisit éko ekosi anima kí ati itótam é ati opikit éko kákí ati níkánístak ta isi tápasinahikécik oskátisak mékwác 17 é tatwáskínét é wítatoskémát anikik Graffiti Art Programming Inc. ká iticik ékosi anima é isi nanáskomot óma wína kákípé isi nahipahihikot. 2012, mékwác 21 é tatwáskínét anihi otápasinahikana kí atámiko Canadian Museum of Human Rights ékí wícéwákanitot ta itótakik ékwéniw anikik Michaelle Jean Foundation ká iticik, éko 24 kákí tatwáskínét kákí natawi tápasinahak émisánik óté kotakik píci tipáskánik ékí atotikot ókik Unceded Voices: Anti-Colonial Street Artisits Convergence ká iticik, éko 27 kákí tatwáskínét kákí atotit misti tápasinahikan kita natawi ositát anté éko ta tipahamákot anikik University of Arizona’s Women’s Resource Centre ká iticik.

Scott Benesiinaabandan is an Anishinabe intermedia artist that works primarily in photography, printmaking and video. Scott has recently completed international residencies at Parramatta Artist Studios in Australia (2012), Context Gallery in Derry, North of Ireland (2010) and is most recently been awarded the University Lethbridge/Royal Institute of Technology iAIR residency 2013,  along with international collaborative projects in both the U.K and Ireland. He is currently in Montreal, and recently completed a Canada Council New Media Production grant through OBx Labs/Ab-tech and Concordia. In the past four years, Benesiinaabandan has been awarded multiple grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council and the Winnipeg Arts Council. Benesiinaabandan has taken part in several group exhibitions across Canada and the United States, most notably in Harbourfront’s Flatter the Land/Bigger the Ruckus (2006), Subconscious City at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (2008) and with more recent solo exhibitions, unSacred, at Gallery 1C03 ( 2011) and in Sydney,  Mii Omaa Ayaad/Oshiki Inendemowin (2012).In September, 2013 Benesiinaabandan will take part in Ryerson Image Centre’s Ghost Dance exhibition.

Anishinaabe Scott Benesiinaabandan odazhiikaan mazinichigewinan, mazinaakizigewinan, gaa-mazinaatesegin gaye. Noomaya’ii Scott ogii-giizhitoonan bebakaan ji-babaa-anokiid imaa Parramatta Artist Studios wedi Australia (2012), Context Gallery imaa Derry, Giiwedinong Ireland (2010), gii-nanaakomaa onji University Lethbridge/Royal Institute of Technology iAIR residency 2013 dago gaa-gii-wiijichigemaad imaa U.K. zhigwa Ireland. Megwaa Montreal ayaa, noomaya’ii ogii-giizhitoon anokiiwin onji Canada Council New Media Production gii-diba’amowaad imaa onji OBx Labs/Ab-tech dago Concordia. Niiwaki onji, Benesiinaabandan gii-miinaa bebakaan wiiji’iwewina onji Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council zhigwa Winnipeg Arts Council. Mii dash Benesiinaabandan gii-wiijichige babaa-waabanda’iweng Canada zhigwa Mookomaanakiing, memindage Harbourfront’s Flatter the Land/Bigger the Ruckus (2006), Subconscious City imaa Winnipeg Art Gallery (2008), noomaya’ii nawach gii-nishike-waabanda’iwe, unsacred, imaa Gallery 1C03 (2011) zhigwa gaye Sydney, Mii Omaa Ayaad/Oshiki Inendemowin (2012). September, 2013 gaa-izhiseg Benesiinaabandan da-wiijiiwe imaa Ryerson Image Centre’s Ghost Dance waabanda’iwewin.

Scott Benesiinaabandan awa Anisinápéw ká ápacitát nanátok cakástécicikana. Scott awa anocíké kákí natawi kísitát okiskinahótowina óté ákámaskík Parramatta Artist Studios in Australia (2012), Context Gallery in Derry, North of Ireland (2010) éko máwaci anocíké kí mináw ta kiskinawahámát University Lethbridge/Royal Institute of Technology iAIR Residency 2013, éko mina kotaka atoskéwina óté U.K éko Ireland. Mékwác ayáw Montreal, éko mina anocíké kí kísitáw péyak Canada Council New Media Production ékí tapahamát anté oci
OBx Labs/Ab-tech éko Concordia. Aspin néyo askiya oci, Benesiinaabandan awa kí mínáw sóniyáwa kita atoskátak kékwána anté oci ókik Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council éko Winnipeg Arts Council. Benesiinaabandan awa kí itáwatáw ta natawi wápatiniwét anihi otápasinahikéwina misiwéskamik óte Canada éko United States, anihi ká máwaci kisténitakoki Harbourfront’s Flatter the Land/Bigger the Ruckus (2006), Subconscious City nété Winnipeg Art Gallery (2008) éko mina ité kákí péyako nókotát, Unsacred, nété Gallery 1C03 (2011) éko mina nété Sydney, Mí Omá Ayád/Oshiki Inendemowin (2012). September 2013, Benesiinaabandan awa kita wícihiwéw nété Ryerson Image Centre’s Ghost Dance wápatinikéwina.

Special thank you to On Screen Manitoba, New Media Manitoba, and the Winnipeg Foundation,The Benevity Community Impact Fund for support of [shooger-koht-ed] which is part of the project Sacred Sounds: The Legacy of Anishinaabemowin.

Media contact Janell Henry (Urban Shaman Gallery- Assistant Curator) .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or phone 204-942-2674

Image credit: courtesy of Catherine Forest