Angelique Merasty facts for kids

Angelique Merasty (born 1924, died 1996) was a talented First Nations artist from Canada. She was famous for her unique art called birchbark biting. Angelique was a member of the Woodland Cree First Nation.

Who Was Angelique Merasty?

Angelique Merasty was born in Beaver Lake, Saskatchewan. She lived most of her life there. She also created and sold her amazing artwork from her home.

Angelique was best known for her birchbark bitings. This is an old Indigenous art form. It involves carefully biting designs into thin, folded sheets of birch bark. Historically, women from the Subarctic and Northeastern Woodlands areas of Canada and the United States practiced this art.

Most birchbark artists made designs using lines. However, Angelique Merasty used a special "pointillist" style. This means she made designs using many tiny bite marks, like dots. She created complex, balanced images of flowers, insects, animals, and landscapes.

She passed away at age 66. Angelique was one of the last known artists to continue this traditional art form. Her work was shown in several Canadian museums. These included the Museum of Man and Nature and the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Angelique's Life Story

Angelique Merasty grew up on an island in Beaver Lake. This was in northern Saskatchewan. She lived there with her mother, Susan Ballantyne.

In 1947, she married Bill Merasty. Bill also helped Angelique with her art. They had one son, Joseph, who sadly passed away when he was six months old.

By the time Angelique was 50, her birchbark biting had caused many of her teeth to fall out. The government helped her get false teeth. She even got two sharpened upper canines. These were specially designed to help her continue her art. Angelique died of a heart attack in Saskatoon on January 7, 1996.

How Angelique Created Her Art

Her Unique Methods and Style

Angelique Merasty is most famous for her birchbark bitings. This art was once a social activity. But in the 1950s, Angelique and her mother, Susan Ballantyne, started selling their work. They sold them at a summer resort for 10 or 15 cents each.

Angelique collected bark with help from her husband, Bill. They would travel by boat up to 15 miles away. They looked for the best trees. These trees had to be white, smooth, clean, and at least 10 layers thick. Spring was the best time to collect bark, when trees were thawing. It was best to bite the bark right after it was harvested.

Angelique's process for making each biting was always the same. She would fold a fresh layer of birch bark. She folded it two or more times. The number of folds depended on the size and detail of the artwork.

Then, Angelique would turn the folded bark. She used her hands and tongue. She would bite marks along its folds. Her designs usually started at the center fold. Then they moved towards the outer edges. She changed the pressure of her bites. This created different shades and textures. Her method made detailed and balanced designs. Her artworks ranged from about seven-and-a-half centimeters to twenty-five centimeters in size.

At first, Angelique's designs were mostly geometric shapes. But later, she developed her own unique style. She moved away from traditional methods. She used a "pointillist" approach for her bitings. This meant using tiny dots instead of lines. Angelique created complex, curvy designs. She especially liked making images of flowers and animals. Later in her career, she could finish artworks without even looking at her progress!

Where Her Art Was Shown

Angelique Merasty’s art was shown in many Canadian museums. These included the Museum of Man and Nature (in 1980) and the Thunder Bay Art Gallery (in 1983). Her work was also chosen as a first prize. This was for important local and provincial cross-country skiing competitions.

You can see her artwork on permanent display. It is at the Flin Flon Library. It is also at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Today, collectors pay thousands of dollars for her amazing work.

Angelique's Legacy

Angelique Merasty was one of the last birchbark biters recorded in North America during her time. She shared her knowledge with a woman named Angelique Merasty Levac. This woman lives in Manitoba.

Angelique Merasty Levac is known for helping to bring back the art of birchbark biting. Today, it is estimated that about 12 people continue this tradition in North America.