Adrian Stimson facts for kids
Adrian Stimson (born 1964 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada) is a talented artist and a member of the Siksika Nation. He creates many different kinds of art, including paintings, sculptures, performances, and videos.
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Education
Stimson studied art at two universities. He earned a special Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the Alberta College of Art and Design. Later, he received a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
Career
Adrian Stimson is known as a multidisciplinary artist. This means he works with many different art forms. He creates paintings, installations (art setups), performances (live art), and video art.
His paintings are often black and white. They frequently show bison (buffalo) in imaginary places. In his installations, he often talks about the experiences of Indigenous children in the residential school system. These were schools that many Indigenous children were forced to attend.
His performances explore ideas about identity. He often blends characters like the Indian, the cowboy, the shaman, and the Two Spirit person. Two characters he often uses in his performances are Buffalo Boy and the Shaman Exterminator. A Two Spirit person is someone who holds a traditional Indigenous understanding of gender and spiritual identity.
In 2010, Stimson traveled to Afghanistan with the Canadian Forces Artists Program. This program sends artists to capture military experiences.
In 2017, Stimson created a five-day performance called "TRENCH." It took place on the Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation land. This performance honored the approximately 4,000 Indigenous soldiers who served in the First World War. This art piece was part of an exhibition called "War Stories: 1917" at Calgary's Military Museums.
In 2019, Stimson worked with another artist named AA Bronson for the Toronto Biennial of Art. They created two works together. One was called A public apology to Siksoka Nation by Bronson. The other was Iini Sookumapii: Guess who’s coming to dinner? This project explored the connection between their ancestors. Bronson's great-grandfather, John William Tims, was a missionary who started a residential school in 1886. Stimson's great-grandfather, Old Sun (1819–1897), was a traditional chief of the North Blackfoot. He was involved in the making of Treaty 7.
In 2020, he created a special waterbed installation. This art piece was a tribute to Yoko Ono and John Lennon's famous "bed-ins for peace." It was part of Yoko Ono’s exhibition "Growing Freedom" at Contemporary Calgary.
Collections
Adrian Stimson's artwork is held in important collections. Two of his paintings are part of the North American Indigenous collection at the British Museum in London. His art can also be found in the collections of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. The Alberta Foundation for the Arts also owns some of his works.
Awards
Adrian Stimson has received several awards for his art. In 2018, he was given the prestigious Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. He also won the Blackfoot Visual Arts Award in 2009. Other awards include the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005 and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003.
