Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan facts for kids

Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan are a Canadian performance art duo. Since 1989, they have worked together to create performances, films, videos, books, and public art projects. They are known for their funny performances that explore ideas about society and what is considered "normal."

Dempsey and Millan are based in Winnipeg, Canada. Their art has been shown and performed all over the world. They have had their work featured in four special exhibitions that looked back at their careers.

They are especially famous for their characters, the Lesbian Rangers, from their project Lesbian National Parks and Services. They use costumes and props in their skits to make fun of things that are officially approved or seen as typical.

In the early 2020s, they helped design a project called Thunderhead. In March 2022, this design was chosen for the new LGBTQ2+ National Monument in Ottawa.

Fun Performances

Astroart Space Corps

Astroart Space Corps was a performance for an event called Nuit Blanche in Calgary, Alberta, in 2014. Dempsey and Millan pretended to be commanders of a space shuttle called PANDORA I. They took a break from their "training" to sign special photos for people.

Grocery Store

For their project Grocery Store, Dempsey and Millan worked with jake moore and Zab. They called themselves The Co-Op Collective. They turned the Ace Art Gallery in downtown Winnipeg into a real, working grocery store. Their goal was to provide "food and food for thought" to the people living downtown. They also wanted to show that there weren't enough important services in that area.

The group even ran ads on the radio and sent out flyers and coupons. They sent a special coupon campaign to the mayor to ask for more real services in the area. During August 2002, the collective sold over $5000 worth of groceries!

Lesbian National Parks & Services

Lesbian National Parks & Services is a long-running series of performances, videos, and printed materials. Dempsey and Millan dress up as park rangers. They use humor to question what people think of as "typically Canadian." They do these performances in specific places, making fun of how places like the Banff wilderness are marketed to tourists.

Dempsey and Millan handed out maps of Banff. These maps included real places and funny, imaginary tourist spots. Some of these imaginary places were "Invisible Lesbian Heritage House and Gardens" and the "Invisible Plaque Dedicated to our Founding Foremothers." In 2002, they released a book called "Lesbian National Parks and Services Field Guide to North America: Flora, Fauna & Survival Skills." In 2008, Dempsey and Millan performed as part of a series at the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery.

Films and Videos

• Consideration Liberation Army
• A Day in The Life of A Bull Dyke (1995)
• What Does A Lesbian Look Like?
• Object/Subject of Desire

Art Installations

• Miss Gray's Marvellous Truth Machine
• Wild Ride
• Archaeology and You
• Mirror Mirror
• One Gay City

Awards and Honors

Dempsey and Millan have won many awards for their art. These include the Canadian Museums Association Award for Outstanding Publication. They also received the Manitoba Arts Council Special Prize for Innovation and Excellence. In 2018, they were given the Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction. This award celebrates artists who have achieved a very high level of excellence over a long time in the province.