Marlene Creates facts for kids

Marlene Creates (born 1952) is a Canadian artist. She lives and works in Portugal Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador. Marlene was born in Montreal, Quebec. She studied visual arts at Queen's University. Later, she lived in Ottawa for twelve years before moving to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1985.

A big part of her art explores how people connect with the land. She often takes photos of small signs that humans have left in nature. Her artwork has been shown in over 300 exhibitions around the world.

In 2001, Marlene Creates became a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. In 2013, she won the BMW Prize at the CONTACT Photography Festival. This was for her show called Marlene Creates: selected works from 30 years, 1982-2012. This exhibition gently asks us to think about how we belong to the land. It also makes us consider how we leave our mark on it.

Creates received the Canadian Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2019. This is a very important award for artists in Canada. In 2021, she was given the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the highest honor the province can give. It celebrates people who have done amazing things for Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2024, she received an honorary Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) from Memorial University.

Learning and Art Education

Marlene Creates earned her bachelor's degree in art education. She studied at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. This was from 1970 to 1974. In 1973, she traveled to Venice, Italy. This trip was part of the university's Art and Architecture Study program. In 1975, she was chosen as a Canadian delegate. She went to France for an Architecture Study Program.

Marlene Creates' Art Journey

Marlene Creates once showed a collection of thirteen photographs. These were called cibachrome photos. They showed landscapes from Canada's east and west coasts. They also featured places in England, Wales, and Ireland. This exhibit was part of a program by the Art Gallery of Ontario.

She described her exhibit by saying:

"Nature's actions might seem random. Smooth stones on the shore appear to have no plan. But I've found that if I move any of them, it's obvious I interfered. The order I create is not natural. Yet, my change is small. The next high tide will move my arrangement. Nature is always changing."

As part of this exhibit, Creates also gave a lecture. She also led a landscape art workshop. Local people in the Thunder Bay area joined in. Creates also took her exhibit to Windsor.

Creates has focused her recent work on six acres of woods. These woods are in Portugal Cove, NL. She owns this land. There, she created the Boreal Forest Poetry Garden. This garden has yearly programs. These include live art, poetry readings, and artist collaborations. It connects art with science.

A large show of Marlene Creates’ work toured Canada. It was called Marlene Creates: Places Paths and Pauses. This tour happened from 2017 to 2019. The exhibition was organized by The Beaverbrook Art Gallery and the Dalhousie University Art Gallery. It was shown at several galleries. These included The Dalhousie Art Gallery (Halifax, NS) and The Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Fredericton, NB). It also went to The Rooms Art Gallery (St. John’s, NL) and Confederation Centre Art Gallery (Charlottetown, PEI). Finally, it was shown at Carleton University Art Gallery (Ottawa, ON). A book was also made to go with the exhibition.

Awards and Honors

• Queen's University Bursary for study in Venice, Italy (1973)
• Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts (2019)
• Order of Newfoundland and Labrador (2021)
• Honorary Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.), Memorial University (2024)