Edward Poitras facts for kids

Edward Poitras, born in 1953, is a talented Métis artist from Saskatchewan, Canada. He creates amazing art using different materials, like sculptures and installations. His art often explores important topics such as history, agreements (treaties), the impact of colonization, and how people live in cities and in nature.

Early Life and Learning

Edward Poitras was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1953. He is a member of the Gordon First Nation.

He started his art studies in 1974 at the Ind-Art program. This program was at the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College in Saskatoon. There, he learned from Sarain Stump, an artist whose ideas about art and life from Indigenous viewpoints greatly influenced Poitras. In 1975 and 1976, he continued his studies at Manitou College in La Macaza, Quebec. He learned from Domingo Cisneros, an Indigenous artist from Mexico.

Artistic Career

Edward Poitras has shown his art in many important exhibitions. These shows have been both by himself and with other artists. They have taken place in Canada and around the world. Since 1980, his work has often been part of big shows featuring modern Indigenous art.

In 1995, he was chosen to represent Canada at the Venice Biennale. This is a very famous international art exhibition. He was the first Indigenous artist from Canada to be chosen for this honor. His artwork has had a big impact on modern art. Because of his important contributions, he received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2002.

First Exhibitions and Major Works

One of Poitras's first group shows was in 1982. It was called New Work by a New Generation at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina. This show was very important for Canada. It was one of the first group exhibitions to feature modern Indigenous art.

Poitras has also had solo exhibitions, where only his art was shown. These include shows at the Western Front in Vancouver (1998) and the Power Plant in Toronto (1989). In 1998, he created a special outdoor artwork called The Politics of Land. This earthwork is located at Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon.

Teaching and Collections

Edward Poitras has also shared his knowledge by teaching art. He taught at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College from 1976 to 1978. He also taught at the University of Manitoba in 1978. Later, he taught at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College at the University of Regina. This college is now known as the First Nations University of Canada. He taught there from 1981 to 1984 and again from 1989 to 1990.

His artwork is held in many important collections. These include the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Mendel Art Gallery. His art is also part of the collections at the Saskatchewan Arts Board and the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Artistic Themes

Edward Poitras uses many different ideas and materials in his art. His early installations often featured figures that seemed to float. For example, in Internal Recall (1986–88), seven life-sized figures knelt with their hands tied. The ropes connected to the ceiling. Words about treaties with First Nations were on the wall. This showed how binding agreements can be, and how promises were sometimes broken.

Poitras uses a wide range of materials in his art. These include natural items like stone and old prairie bones. He also uses traditional beadwork and historical photos. Sometimes, he combines these with modern things like circuit boards, electrical wires, and audio tapes.

The coyote is a special symbol in many Indigenous cultures. It is often seen as a trickster figure. For many Indigenous people, the coyote also represents survival and cleverness. This animal is a repeated theme in Poitras's art. You can see it in his installation Marginal Recession (1991) and in his work Coyote (1986).

Awards and Recognition

Edward Poitras has received several important awards for his art:

• 1998 Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award from the Canada Council.
• Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts (2002).

Selected Solo Exhibitions

• Horses Fly Too, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, 1984
• Indian Territory Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, 1988
• The Power Plant, Toronto (1989)
• Galerie Articule, Montreal (1991)
• Three Lemons and a Dead Coyote, Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa, 1993
• Jaw Rez, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, (1996)
• Western Front Society, Vancouver (1998)
• RESIG/NATION, Galerie Le lieu, Quebec City, 2000
• Qu’Appelle: Tales of Two Valleys, (travelling exhibition organized by Mendel Art Gallery), 2002
• 13 Coyotes, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, 2012

Selected Group Exhibitions

• Canadian Biennial of Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1989
• Indigena, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, 1992
• Borderzones, UBC Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, 2010
• SAKAHÁN: International Indigenous Art, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 2013

Personal Life

In the 1980s, Edward Poitras married Robin Wiens. Robin is the daughter of architect Clifford Wiens. Robin Poitras is also a talented artist herself. She is known for her work as a dancer, performer, and installation artist.