Rick Rivet facts for kids

Rick Rivet is a talented artist from Canada. He was born in 1949 in Aklavik, a town in the Northwest Territories. Rick Rivet is a Sahtu–Métis painter, known for his unique art style.

Early Life and Learning

Rick Rivet grew up in Aklavik, a place that was important for Métis people. The Métis are a special group in Canada with both Indigenous and European backgrounds. Rick's family lived both in the countryside and in town. He started school in Aklavik when he was seven years old.

Rick Rivet studied art and education at several universities. He earned four different degrees:

• A Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta in 1972.
• A Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria in 1980.
• A Master of Fine Arts from the University of Saskatchewan in 1985.
• A Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan in 1986.

His Art Style

Rick Rivet's art often explores how different cultures can mix and blend together. He mainly uses acrylic paints on canvas. He describes his painting style as "expressionist/primitivist." This means his art shows strong feelings and uses simple, powerful shapes, like early art forms.

In 1999, Rick Rivet received the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship. This is a special award for artists who create modern Indigenous art. In 2023, he had his own art show called Journeys, Mounds and the Metaphysical. This show was held at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.

Where to See His Art

You can find Rick Rivet's art in public places and museums. His large permanent mural, called Millenium Mural, is at the David S. Strong Building at the University of Victoria. A mural is a big painting on a wall.

Other works by Rick Rivet are part of the permanent collections at:

• The Maltwood Museum and Art Gallery, University of Victoria, in Victoria, B.C.
• The Museum of Fine Art in Boston.

When art is in a "permanent collection," it means the museum owns it and plans to keep it forever.