Sandra Semchuk facts for kids

Sandra Semchuk (born 1948) is a Canadian artist who uses photography to tell stories. Her amazing work has been shown in galleries all over Canada and in other countries too. She also taught art at Emily Carr University of Art and Design for many years, from 1987 to 2018.

In 1998, a special show called "How Far Back is Home ..." looked back at 25 years of Sandra's art. This show, held at Presentation House Gallery in Vancouver, B.C., explored how her art connects to who we are, what is right, and our relationship with the land.

Sandra received a special grant from 2008 to 2015. This money helped her finish a book about Ukrainians in Canada. The book is called The Stories Were Not Told: Stories and Photographs from Canada's First Internment Camps, 1914-1920. It shares important stories and photos from a time when many Ukrainians in Canada were placed in special camps during World War I.

Sandra Semchuk's Art Journey

Sandra grew up in a strong Ukrainian-Canadian community. This background really shaped her art, especially her ideas about how everyone and everything is connected. In the late 1970s, she started making art with her family. She worked with her parents, her partner, and her young daughter.

Her early photos are often described as "documentary." This means they show real life and real people. One important series from 1982 is called Excerpts from a Diary. It has 87 photos that explore feelings about family and loss. Through her self-portraits and pictures of home and the prairie, Sandra shared a journey of self-discovery and change.

Art writer Penny Cousineau-Levine described Excerpts from a Diary as a journey into darkness and back. She said it was like a hero's adventure, facing hard times and then finding new strength. This idea of facing difficulties and coming out changed is a big part of Sandra's work.

Working with James Nicholas

Sandra Semchuk was married to James Nicholas, a Cree artist from Nelson House, Manitoba. Sadly, James passed away suddenly in 2007. James had a very difficult childhood, including experiences in residential schools.

Together, Sandra and James created art that explored many different ideas. They looked at how people connect with the land. They also explored the relationships between Indigenous peoples and settlers in Canada. Their art helped people remember important stories and histories.

Working with Skeena Reece

In 2013, Sandra Semchuk worked with performance artist Skeena Reece. They created a piece called Touch Me. This performance was part of an exhibition called Witnesses: Art and Canada’s Indian Residential Schools. During the performance, Reece bathed Semchuk. This act explored deep themes like forgiveness and the bond between mothers and daughters.

Sandra's Education

Sandra Semchuk studied art and photography at several universities.

• 1983: She earned a Master's degree in Photography from the University of New Mexico.
• 1970: She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Saskatchewan.
• 1970: She also earned a Professional "A" Teachers Certificate from the Province of Saskatchewan.

Special Art Shows

Sandra Semchuk's art has been shown in many solo exhibitions. Here are some of them:

• 2016: The Stories Were Not Told, Comox Valley Art Gallery, Courtenay, BC
• 1998: How Far Back is Home . . . ., Presentation House, Vancouver, B.C.
• 1991: Coming to Death's Door, a daughter/father collaboration, Presentation House, Vancouver, B.C.
• 1991: Moving Parallel: Reconstructed Performances from Daily Life, Photographers Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Prince George Art Gallery, Prince George, British Columbia; University of Waterloo Art Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario; Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ontario; Art, Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario; McKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan; Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta; Floating Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Gallery 44, Toronto, Ontario
• 1990: Paralleling the Bird, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario; Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1986: Ritual, the Photographic Sequence, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario
• 1986: The Coburg Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1982: Excerpts from a Diary, Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• 1979: The Photographers Gallery, London, England
• 1975: The Photographers Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• 1973: The Photographers Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Where to Find Her Art

Many art galleries and museums own Sandra Semchuk's work. This means her photographs are part of important collections for people to see and study. Some of these places include:

• Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver
• Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Regina
• Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa
• Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina
• Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton
• McKenzie Art Gallery, Edmonton
• Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon
• Mount St. Vincent University of Art Gallery, Halifax
• Museum of Modern Art, New York
• Photographers Gallery, Saskatoon
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
• University of New Mexico, Albuquerque