Marcia Crosby facts for kids

Marcia Crosby is a Canadian writer, art historian, and teacher. She is from the Tsimshian and Haida Indigenous groups.

About Marcia Crosby

Marcia Crosby grew up in what is now Prince Rupert. Her family comes from Maxxtakxaata (Metlakatla, Alaska) and the Gisbutwaada (Killer Whale clan).

She studied at the University of British Columbia. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and English in 1990. Her Master of Arts degree in 1993 focused on how Indigenous cultures and art are shown to the public. Her PhD in Art History looked at "self-identifying modern Indian artists."

In 1996, Crosby started teaching English and First Nations Studies at Vancouver Island University. She has also worked as a researcher, looking at programs for Indigenous people in public places. Marcia Crosby's work often questions common ideas and historical stories about First Nations peoples and cultures.

Organizing Art Shows

Marcia Crosby has helped organize many art exhibitions. A curator is someone who chooses and arranges artworks for a show.

In 1994, she was a guest curator for the "Nations in Urban Landscape" exhibition at the Contemporary Art Gallery. This show later traveled to Montreal. In the exhibition's book, Crosby explored how land issues between Canadian and First Nations governments have shaped art practices in museums and galleries. She looked at artists like Shelly Niro and Faye HeavyShield.

Later, in 2008, Crosby joined a web project called "Ruins in Progress: Vancouver Art in the Sixties." For this project, she wrote an essay titled "Making Indian Art ‘Modern’." In it, she explained that it was hard for Indigenous artists to be seen as "modern" before the mid-1960s. There wasn't much support from art buyers or galleries for "modern Indian" art. She wrote about artists like George Clutesi and Henry Speck, who wanted to be seen as modern artists.

In 2012, Crosby helped curate "The Paintings of Henry Speck: Udz’stalis" at the Vancouver Belkin and Satellite Gallery. Henry Speck (1908-1971) was a Kwakwaka’wakw artist. His paintings of masked dancers and sea creatures became famous in 1964. In the exhibition's book, Crosby and co-curator Karen Duffek discussed Speck's place in "Indian art" history.

In 2013, Crosby gave a talk about Itee Pootoogook's art exhibit "Buildings and Lands." Pootoogook's drawings showed modern northern life, like snowmobiles and TV sets. This was different from the usual historical images of Inuit art. Crosby's talk focused on how Indigenous art is made and shown in cities like Vancouver. She also looked at how Indigenous artists connect with new social groups.

The "Imaginary Indian" Idea

One of Marcia Crosby's most important works is her essay "Construction of the Imaginary Indian." In this essay, Crosby looks at how Indigenous cultures have been shown in art and social studies.

She explains that sometimes, a single "Imaginary Indian" idea was created. This idea was a made-up version of past and present Indigenous cultures by Western society. It often showed Indigenous people as needing to be "saved" through colonization. Crosby argues that this idea was a negative space that made the "positive" force of colonialism seem right.

However, Crosby's essay is not all negative. She also points out that interest in Indigenous culture helped create a space for Indigenous artists. This allowed many First Nations people to share their views on social and political issues through art.

During her studies, Crosby looked at artists who were thought to show positive images of Indigenous people. These included Paul Kane, Emily Carr, and Bill Reid.

Emily Carr's Paintings

Marcia Crosby discusses Emily Carr's paintings in her essay. Carr often painted the remaining parts of Indigenous culture, like totem poles and canoes. Crosby suggests that Carr wanted to record these things. She questions who the "Indians" Carr "loved" really were. Crosby argues that Carr's paintings can be seen as records of old objects or ethnographic pictures. She believes Carr was looking for a Canadian identity and wanted to be seen as acting honorably. Crosby feels it is not right for art historians to call Carr's comments a "statement of high moral purpose" when First Nations people are fighting for their rights today.

Paul Kane's Work

Crosby also examines Paul Kane's writings and images. Kane's work reflected the ideas of the 1800s about Indigenous peoples. Crosby says that Kane's "historical documents" have lasted through time. Some art historians and government officials still believe his message. However, Crosby argues that Kane's work can harm First Nations people today. This is because his work helped justify denying Indigenous rights by saying that being Indigenous meant being "savage." Crosby finds Kane's claims of being authentic problematic. Kane wanted his journals to be important for historians. Crosby points out that when a culture is shown as dying, people often feel they need to "save" it. Kane's success, she says, depended on the idea that Indigenous people were "primitive" and would disappear.

Bill Reid's Art

Bill Reid is introduced by Crosby as a key figure in the rebirth of Indigenous art. Reid was a Haida artist who was part of what was called the "renaissance" of Northwest Coast Indigenous art. Crosby notes that others besides Reid were seen as "saviors" of Indigenous culture.

Crosby discusses how the media reacted to Indigenous cultures after World War II. She explains that when a culture's struggles are made public, there is often a global call for decolonization. Reid once said he wanted his art to be seen as just "art," not "Indian art." Crosby responds to this by looking at the political meaning behind his art. She writes that Reid "actively supported the myth of the imminent death of the Indian" by seeing himself as a hero and cultural savior.

Crosby argues that Reid's work, like Carr's and Kane's, supported the idea that the dominant culture had a right to "care for a dying culture." She says that in museums, Indigenous items were often put in glass cases, becoming a collection of "Indian artifacts." This, Crosby feels, reinforced the idea of the artist as a hero, while also making a culture seem helpless.

Marcia Crosby's work is important because she shares her personal experiences and connections to past and present Indigenous cultures. She does more than just "collect and display Indians as objects." Her writing shows a deep understanding and dedication to her education.

In a book called "The Implication of Restorative Justice for Aboriginal Women," there is a quote from Marcia Crosby:

"I can hardly speak your words because I think you might not forgive me for telling the story you wanted kept a secret. Yes, some of our leaders, some of our old people and others on our communities want us to be quiet about life on our social and geographical reserves. They want us to be silent and if we are not we are not family. But your silence deadened me gram. This is about love and anger. This is about sadness and joy. About strength and total collapse of the spirit."

This quote shows how dedicated Crosby is to creating works that express spirit, honor, and resistance.