Michelle LaVallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michelle LaVallee
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Michelle LaVallee
October 26, 1977 Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
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| Nationality | Nawash First Nation (Canadian) |
| Education | York University |
| Known for | Acrylic paint, mixed media |
Michelle LaVallee is a Canadian curator, artist, and teacher. She is Ojibway and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. This First Nation is located in Cape Croker, Ontario.
Michelle LaVallee studied at York University in Toronto. She earned degrees in Fine Arts (2000) and Education (2004). Later, she got a master's degree in Art History from the University of Regina. Her master's work focused on how Indigenous art is shown and understood.
She has been a curator at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan since 2007. In 2013, she won an award for her great work in the arts. Michelle LaVallee cares deeply about helping people understand the histories of Indigenous peoples. She has worked with Indigenous communities in Canada and other countries.
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What a Curator Does
Michelle LaVallee started her work as a curator in 2005. A curator is someone who chooses and organizes art for museums and galleries. They help tell stories through art. From 2007 to 2017, she worked at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. After that, she joined the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada Art Centre in Gatineau, Quebec.
Her curatorial work often looks at how colonialism has shaped culture in Canada. Colonialism is when one country takes control of another land and its people. She has put together many shows that explore how people resisted these changes.
Famous Art Shows
One of her most famous shows was 7: Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. This exhibition celebrated a group of seven important First Nations artists. They were Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray, and Joseph Sanchez.
These artists met in the 1970s. They wanted to be seen as professional modern artists. The show opened in Regina in 2013. It later traveled to other cities like Winnipeg, Kelowna, and Kleinburg, Ontario. A book about the exhibition won three awards.
Michelle LaVallee has also been chosen to attend big art events around the world. These include the Asia Pacific Triennial in Australia and the Venice Biennale in Italy. In 2006, she received a grant to help Aboriginal curators. She also spoke at the University of Manitoba about bringing Indigenous art to university campuses.
Michelle LaVallee as an Artist
Besides being a curator, Michelle LaVallee is also an artist. She uses acrylic paints and mixed media in her work. Mixed media means using different materials together.
She also creates unique three-dimensional art. These pieces often include materials that are important to the Anishinaabeg culture. Anishinaabeg is a group of Indigenous peoples, including the Ojibway. Her art has been shown in many group exhibitions across Canada.
Art Shows She Organized
Here are some of the art shows Michelle LaVallee helped create:
- 2015: Moving Forward, Never Forgetting (Co-Curator), MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan
- 2013: 7 Professional Native Indian Artists Inc., Mackenzie Art Gallery
- 2012: 13 Coyotes: Edward Poitras, Mackenzie Art Gallery
- 2009: Blow Your House In: Vernon Ah Kee, Mackenzie Art Gallery
- 2008: Wally Dion, Mackenzie Art Gallery
- 2008: Miss Chief: Shadow Catcher – Kent Monkman, Mackenzie Art Gallery
- 2007: Re/translation: Land & Language, A Space, Toronto, Ontario
Art Shows Featuring Her Work
Here are some exhibitions where Michelle LaVallee's own art was shown:
- 2012: Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3, Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, New York
- 2010: Love, Saskatchewan, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario
- 2009: Flatlanders: Saskatchewan Artists on the Horizon, Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- 2008: Myths of the Land, Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario (this show also included art from the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc.)
Sources
- "7: Professional Native Indian Artists Inc." MacKenzie Art Gallery. Retrieved 28-02-2016.
- Commanda, Erica. (09-02-2015). "THE INDIGENOUS GROUP OF SEVEN." Muskrat Magazine. Retrieved 28-02-2016.
