KC Adams facts for kids

KC Adams was born on March 28, 1971. She is an artist and teacher from Winnipeg, Manitoba. KC Adams has Cree, Ojibway, and British family roots.

She creates art using many different materials. These include sculpture, drawings, paintings, and photography. KC Adams is known for using ideas from popular culture and science fiction. She uses these ideas to talk about important social issues today. Her art often explores topics like racism and how humans affect the land. She also looks at the challenges and ideas people have about Indigenous peoples. KC Adams sees herself as a "social-practice" artist. This means her art often involves people interacting with it. This helps to bring attention to important social and political topics.

KC Adams is a full-time artist. She works with digital photography, clay, sculpture, and video. She also creates public art, performance art, and traditional Indigenous crafts. These crafts include beading, birch bark biting, and quill work. She has made many unique artworks. Her work often explores the connections between old knowledge, memories, and the importance of water. She uses materials like copper, clay, and birch bark. Her art reminds us of the special teachings passed down through generations. These teachings help new generations become "water protectors."

Exploring KC Adams' Art

KC Adams enjoys working with computers and new technologies. She uses these tools in her art, along with more traditional methods.

Public Art Projects

KC Adams has created several large artworks for public spaces. Her first public art piece is called Community. It hangs in the lobby of the United Way building in Winnipeg. This artwork is a large structure made of ceramic and clay. It looks like a web and was put up in 2014.

In 2018, KC Adams worked with artists Val Vint and Jamie Isaac. They created Niimaamaa, a 30-foot tall sculpture. It is located at The Forks in Winnipeg. Another public sculpture by Adams, called Friendship, will be placed near the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in 2021.

The Perception Exhibition

One of KC Adams' most famous projects is her exhibition called Perception. This art project makes a strong statement about racism. It challenges unfair ideas and stereotypes about First Nations people.

The exhibition was shown in art galleries, bus shelters, and on billboards in Winnipeg. It featured two pictures side-by-side. Both pictures showed the same person from Winnipeg's Indigenous community. The picture on the left had a hurtful racial slur as a caption. The picture on the right showed the same person. But this time, it had their real name, job, hobbies, and passions. This project helped people see how harmful stereotypes are. It showed the real, amazing people behind the labels. In 2019, Perception was made into a book. It was chosen as one of the best books for children and teens by the Canadian Children's Book Centre.

Other Art Series

Work from her Cyborg Hybrid series explores ideas about identity. It looks at artists who have both European and Indigenous backgrounds. It explores how these different parts of their identity come together.

Her art has been shown in many places. These include the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Her work has also been displayed in Paris, France.

KC Adams' Career Journey

KC Adams earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University in 1998. She has held important roles in the art world. She was the Director at the Urban Shaman Gallery in Winnipeg. She also worked at the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art. She has served as the president of the board of directors for Ace Art. She also advised the Manitoba Arts Council on art matters.

KC Adams is also an art educator. She teaches art in schools, especially in inner-city areas. She does this through programs like the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Learning Through the Arts. In 2014, she was the set designer for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's show, Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation. KC Adams has also been an artist-in-residence at several places. These include the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada. She also worked at the National Museum of the American Indian and a gallery in Australia.

Art Collections

KC Adams' artwork is part of many public and private art collections. These collections are found both in Canada and around the world.

Pieces from her Cyborg Hybrid and Perception series are in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Ten prints from her Circuit City series are held at the Indian and Inuit Art Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Her artwork Birch Bark Ltd. is in the collection of the Canadian consulate in Sydney, Australia. It is also at the Dunlop Art Gallery. Other works like Cyborg Hybrid KC and iPad is Cree Floral are at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Books by KC Adams

KC Adams is also an author. Her book, Perception: A Photo Series, was chosen as one of the "Books of the Year" in 2019 by "Quill & Quire" magazine.

Awards and Recognition

KC Adams has received many awards and grants for her art. These include support from the Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council, and Canada Council for the Arts. In 2015, she won the Winnipeg Arts Council Making A Mark Award. In 2017, she received the Aboriginal Circle of Educators Trailblazer Award. She also received the Senate 150 Medal from Senator Patricia Bovey.