Barry Ace facts for kids

Barry Ace, born in 1958, is a talented artist from the First Nations. He is a sculptor, photographer, and multimedia artist. He also works as a curator, which means he helps organize art shows. Barry Ace is from Sudbury, Ontario, and now lives in Ottawa. He is Odawa, part of the Anishinaabe people, and belongs to the M'Chigeeng First Nation.

Ace creates art using many different materials. He makes paintings, textiles, and sculptures. He often mixes traditional Anishinaabe textiles and beadwork with modern electrical parts. Barry Ace loves to combine Indigenous and global ideas, styles, and methods in his art.

Early Life and Family

Barry Ace was born in Sudbury, Ontario. He is a member of the M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island. His last name, "Ace," is pronounced "Es." It comes from an Ojibwe word for "clam."

When he was about seven or eight, Barry learned art techniques from his great-aunt, Annie Owl-McGregor. She taught him how to make traditional Anishinaabe splint-ash baskets. His grandmother, Mary McGregor-Ace, also inspired him with her beautiful beadwork, quillwork, and basketry.

Education and Teaching

Barry Ace first studied to become an electrician at Cambrian College. But he later changed his focus to graphic arts. His knowledge of electricity still helps him today. He uses electrical parts in many of his mixed-media artworks.

Ace has shared his knowledge by giving talks at universities. He has lectured at the University of Sudbury, Laurentian University, and Carleton University. In 2015, he led a workshop at the Ottawa Art Gallery. People worked together to create a mixed-media map of Ottawa.

He also taught a workshop for children from an Ojibwe immersion school. The artwork these children made was later shown at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation. In 2018, Barry Ace was a visiting artist at OCAD University.

Art Themes and Ideas

Much of Barry Ace's art uses everyday items like capacitors, resistors, and light-emitting diodes. He combines these with traditional Great Lakes-style floral beadwork. His art often shows how Indigenous cultures have stayed strong. They have survived many challenges, including colonization and fast social changes.

In all his art, Barry Ace wants people to understand the importance of identity and culture. He believes Indigenous people should control how their culture is shown. His work explores how old traditions and new materials can connect. For example, he uses glass beads in his textile pieces. These beads were first traded by Europeans. This shows how Indigenous and European cultures have influenced each other.

In 2010, Ace performed a special dance called A Reparative Act in Paris, France. He performed four traditional Woodland style dances. This performance honored Chief Maungwadaus, who danced in Europe in the 1800s. Ace's performance was part of a research project by artist Robert Houle.

Exhibitions and Collections

Barry Ace's art has been shown in many important exhibitions. One early show was Emergence from the Shadows in 1996. It was held at the Canadian Museum of History. This show featured six Indigenous photographers. They explored how Indigenous culture was shown in old photographs.

His work has also been part of major art shows like:

• Native Fashion Now at the Peabody Essex Museum (2016)
• Canadian Biennial at the National Gallery of Canada (2017)
• Every.Now.Then: Reframing Nationhood at the Art Gallery of Ontario (2017)
• Insurgence/Resurgence at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (2018)
• Radical Stitch at the MacKenzie Art Gallery (2022)

Barry Ace's artwork is collected by many important places. These include the National Gallery of Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Canada Council Art Bank. His art is also held by the City of Ottawa and Global Affairs Canada.

Ace has also curated several art shows himself. He was the Chief Curator for the Aboriginal Art Centre from 1994 to 2000. He organized many exhibitions, including Transitions: Contemporary Canadian Indian and Inuit Art. This show traveled to different countries.

Selected Artworks

• 2006 Reaction – a footwear artwork
• 2010 A Reparative Act – a performance piece
• 2013 Healing Dance 1 – a painting
• 2013 Urban Bustle – a mixed media artwork
• 2014 Nigik Makizinan - Otter Moccasins
• 2016 Bandolier for M'Chigeeng – a mixed media artwork
• 2016 Nayaano-nibiimaang Gichigamiin: The Five Great Lakes – a mixed media artwork
• 2017 Bandolier for Alain Brosseau – a mixed media artwork

Awards and Recognition

Barry Ace has received several awards for his art and writing. In 2015, he won the K.M. Hunter Artist Award for visual arts. He also won the Ontario Association of Art Galleries' Curatorial Writing Award in 2012. This was for his essay "A Reparative Act."

In 1999, he won the Deputy Minister's Outstanding Achievement Award with his team. This was for an artist-in-residence program they started.

Art Groups and Organizations

Barry Ace has helped start important groups for Indigenous artists. In 2006, he co-founded the Indigenous Curatorial Collective. This group connects Indigenous curators and artists across Canada. It helps support art projects and share many Indigenous voices.

He also co-founded the OO7 (Ottawa Ontario Seven) Collective. This group includes Indigenous artists like Ariel Smith and Rosalie Favell. It offers a special space for Ottawa-based Indigenous artists. It helps them show their own art and connect with the public.