Art Connects | On Collective Grief

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Join us in advance of National Indigenous Peoples Day for an important conversation with artist Skeena Reece and art historian Marcia Crosby about collective grief and resilience as they relate to Reece’s artistic practice and Crosby’s ongoing research.

This Art Connects aims to elevate a discussion around grief, bringing awareness to the process as a way of looking towards the future and avoiding a state of “perpetual mourning,” which is also a song by Reece.

This program is hosted by Shadae Rose Johnson, Community Relations Coordinator of Indigenous Programming, with Stephanie Bokenfohr, Adult Public Programs Coordinator.

Questions? Submit them during the Zoom presentation using the Q&A function.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Marcia Crosby is a writer, art historian and educator of Tsimshian and Haida ancestry. Crosby’s family originates from the Maxxtakxaata in Metlakatla, Alaska, and descends from the Gisbutwaada (Killer Whale clan) and the House of Gitlan. Crosby’s work interrogates mainstream representations and historical narratives of First Nations peoples and cultures. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and English (1990) and a Master of Arts in Cultural History (1993), and she is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Art History, all from the University of British Columbia. Since 1996, Crosby has taught English Literature and First Nations Studies at Vancouver Island University (previously Malaspina University College). She acted as guest curator and writer for the exhibition Nations in Urban Landscapes at the Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver (1994). Since 2001, she has added to her publications a number of essays on contemporary art history on topics as diverse as the myth of Bill Reid; the sculptural works of Dina Gomez, an Argentinian artist living and working in Vancouver; and Indigenous performance art, which included two recently published essays on the multi-media works of Rebecca Belmore.

Skeena Reece is a Tsimshian/Gitksan and Cree artist based on the West Coast of British Columbia. She has garnered national and international attention, most notably for Raven: On the Colonial Fleet (2010), her bold installation and performance work presented as part of the celebrated group exhibition Beat Nation (Vancouver Art Gallery, 2012). Her multidisciplinary practice includes performance art, spoken word, humour, “sacred clowning,” writing, singing, songwriting, video and visual art. She studied media arts at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and was the recipient of the British Columbia award for Excellence in the Arts (2012) and the Viva Award (2014). For her work Savage (2010), in collaboration with Lisa Jackson, Reece won a Leo Award for Best Short Film, Golden Sheaf Award for Best Multicultural Film, ReelWorld Outstanding Canadian Short Film, Leo Awards for Best Actress and Best Editing. She participated in the 17th Sydney Biennale, Australia. Recent exhibitions include: The Sacred Clown & Other Strangers (2015), a solo exhibition of her performance costumes and documentation at Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Winnipeg; Moss at Oboro Gallery, Montreal (2017); and a solo show at James Madison University in Virginia.