Rita McKeough facts for kids
Rita McKeough (born in 1951) is a Canadian artist, musician, and teacher. She creates art that combines different types of media, like sound, video, and objects. Her artworks are often shown as installations (art you can walk through) or performances (live shows).
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About Rita McKeough
Rita McKeough was born in 1951 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She studied art at the University of Calgary, finishing in 1975. Later, she earned another degree from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1979. Today, she teaches at Alberta University of the Arts and lives in Calgary, Alberta.
What Her Art Is About
Rita McKeough uses many tools, from old-fashioned (analog) to modern digital technology, to make her art. She creates performances, videos, and sound pieces. Her art often tells stories from a woman's point of view. She uses everyday objects to make sounds in her artworks.
Rita believes her art helps people think about taking action. She once said, "In my work, it’s not about speaking for anybody, but wanting to create or imagine situations or a society where everyone has a voice." Her art encourages people to think deeply, be curious, find humor, and become more aware.
Rita McKeough's art often highlights important social issues. These include:
- The oil industry and its effects on nature.
- How meat is produced.
- The relationship between humans and animals.
- Giving a voice to women who have been silenced.
Selected Artworks
Veins (2016)
Veins is an art installation that makes you feel like you are inside the artwork. It was first shown in Calgary, Alberta, in 2016. This artwork explores Rita's worries about oil and gas pipelines being built across delicate landscapes.
H (2014)
"H" was a performance art piece that took place in an old barber shop in Sackville, New Brunswick. It happened from July 24 to August 2, 2014. People were asked to bring their "sick" (old or broken) cell phones to a special "hospital" set up in the shop. There, a giant squirrel and a tree helped the cell phones "recover" in tiny hospital beds. Visitors could watch the process or see the recovering phones.
This artwork was shown in several art galleries. It traveled to the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery in 2012, and then to galleries in Scarborough, Halifax, and Saskatoon in 2013 and 2014.
Wilderment (2010)
Wilderment was part of a larger art show called "Timeland: Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art" at the Art Gallery of Alberta in 2010. It was also shown as a solo exhibition in May 2013.
Alternator (2008-2012)
Alternator was performed in different cities. It was part of Nuit Blanche in Toronto in 2008, the ArtCity Festival in Calgary in 2009, and the Art in the Streets Festival in Lethbridge in 2009. It was also shown at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in Boston in 2012.
In bocca al lupo—In the mouth of the wolf (1991–92)
This was a ninety-minute performance and installation. Rita McKeough was inspired by writers Hélène Cixous and Luce Irigaray, and musician Patti Smith. The performance included a choir, singers, musicians, dancers, and projections. The audience and performers were inside a large wooden figure. The artwork aimed to give a strong, shared voice to women's anger.
Take it to the Teeth (1993)
Rita McKeough created this artwork with her friend Cheryl L'Hirondelle. It was an installation and performance at the Glenbow Museum in 1993. For this piece, Rita and Cheryl literally chewed through the museum walls. This revealed eight hidden audio tapes. The artwork showed the connection between domestic abuse and how women can find their voice and power.
Where Her Art Is Kept
Rita McKeough's art is part of many public and private collections. These include the Canada Council Art Bank in Ottawa, the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, and the Walter Phillips Gallery at The Banff Centre. Her work is also at the University of Lethbridge and the Dunlop Art Gallery in Regina.
Music and Bands
Besides being an artist, Rita McKeough is also a musician. She plays drums and percussion. She has been a part of several bands, including Sleepy Panther, The Permuters, Sit Com, Mode d'Emploi, Almost Even, Demi Monde, Confidence Band, and Books All Over the Bed.
Awards and Recognition
Rita McKeough has received many honors for her work. In 2009, she won a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. In 2006, she was named Éminence Grise by the 7a*11d performance art festival. She has also been an Artist-in-Residence at places like the Bemis Centre for Contemporary Art, the Rauschenberg Residency, the Banff Centre, and Artspace Sydney in Australia.
