Roxanne Charles-George facts for kids
Roxanne Charles-George is a talented artist, activist, and storyteller. She creates art using many different materials. She is part of the Strait Salish and European cultures.
She used to be a leader (a councilor) for her community, the Semiahmoo First Nation in Surrey, British Columbia. She still works hard to share and celebrate their art, language, and traditions.
As an artist, Roxanne uses many different materials to make her art. Her art often talks about important issues. She shows how history has affected her people, like the challenges from when European settlers first arrived. She also explores topics like her spiritual beliefs, who she is, how cities grow, making sure everyone has enough food, and how natural resources are used. Her art helps people understand difficult experiences and unfair situations.
Roxanne's goal is to inspire people through her art and stories. She uses traditional Semiahma ways of sharing knowledge, like visual art, spoken stories, and special ceremonies.
Her artwork is part of the collection at the Surrey Art Gallery.
Art Shows
Roxanne Charles-George has shown her art in many exhibitions. An exhibition is a public display of artworks.
Solo Shows
- The Strata of Many Truths, Museum of Vancouver, 2019.
Group Shows
- Ninety-Seven Days, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 2014
- Views from the South Bank I: Histories, Memories, Myths, Surrey Art Gallery, 2015
- Gross Density Parcel, AgentC Projects, 2015
- Intangible: Memory and Innovation in Coast Salish Art, Bill Reid Gallery, 2017
- Ground Signals, Surrey Art Gallery, 2017
- how do you carry the land, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2018
- Connecting Threads, Surrey Art Gallery, 2018
- Li iyá:qtset – We Transform It, Reach Gallery Museum, 2019
- The Lind Prize 2019', Polygon Gallery, 2019
In 2020, Roxanne started working with other artists, Laiwan and Daniel Negatu. They created an art installation that tells a story. This project was for the opening of Simon Fraser University's School of Sustainable Energy Engineering in Surrey.
Education
Roxanne Charles-George has two university degrees from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She also earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. She has a special certificate in Northwest Coast Jewelry Design from the Native Education College in Vancouver, BC.
Teaching Art
Roxanne has taught art workshops at the Surrey Art Gallery, the White Rock Museum & Archives, and ArtsStarts. She helps others learn about art.
Curating Art
In 2017, Roxanne helped organize an art show called Ground Signals at the Surrey Art Gallery. In 2018, she was a special guest curator for the Vancouver Mural Festival. A curator helps choose and arrange artworks for a show.
Community Work
Roxanne Charles-George is very active in her community. She speaks up about important issues like water quality and local services for the Semiahmoo First Nations. She has also helped organize efforts to protect land and speak out against large projects like the Trans Mountain pipeline that could affect the environment.
Awards
Roxanne has received several awards for her work.
- In 2015, she received a Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Semiahmoo Rotary Club.
- In 2018, she was given a Surrey Civic Treasure award. This award honors people who are excellent in arts and heritage and have made big contributions to the City of Surrey and beyond. She received it for her work as an artist and educator.
- In 2019, she was nominated for the Lind Prize, an award for emerging artists.
