Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan facts for kids

Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan are a creative team from Canada who have worked together since 1989. They are known for their unique performance art, which is a type of art where the artists themselves are part of the artwork. They create performances, films, videos, books, and public art projects.

Based in Winnipeg, Dempsey and Millan use humor in their work to explore important social topics. They often use funny costumes and props to make people think about what society considers "normal." Their art has been shown all over the world and has been celebrated in four major exhibitions looking back at their career.

One of their most famous works is a performance video that was often played on the music channel MuchMusic in the 1990s. They are also well-known for their characters, the Park Rangers of the Lesbian National Parks and Services.

More recently, they helped design a major monument called Thunderhead. In March 2022, this design was chosen for the new LGBTQ2+ National Monument in Ottawa, Canada's capital city.

Famous Art Projects

Dempsey and Millan are known for creating art that is interactive and makes a statement. They often appear as characters in their performances.

Astroart Space Corps

For a 2014 art festival in Calgary, Alberta, Dempsey and Millan became commanders of a pretend space shuttle called PANDORA I. They dressed in space-themed outfits and acted as if they were taking a break from their astronaut training to sign photos for the public.

Grocery Store

In 2002, Dempsey and Millan, along with other artists, turned an art gallery in downtown Winnipeg into a real, working grocery store. The project, called Grocery Store, was created to point out that there were no stores selling fresh food in that part of the city.

The artists ran radio ads and sent out coupons to bring attention to the issue. They even sent coupons to the city's mayor to ask for better services for the community. Over one month, they sold more than $5000 worth of groceries.

Lesbian National Parks & Services

This is one of their most famous ongoing projects. Dempsey and Millan dress up as park rangers to challenge ideas about Canadian identity and nature. In places like Banff National Park, they would act as official rangers and hand out funny maps.

These maps included real tourist spots alongside imaginary ones, like the "Invisible Lesbian Heritage House and Gardens." This project uses humor to make people think about history and who gets to be a part of it. In 2002, they also published a book for this project called the "Lesbian National Parks and Services Field Guide to North America."

Selected Film and Video

Dempsey and Millan have created many short films and videos. Some of their well-known video works include:

• Consideration Liberation Army
• What Does A Lesbian Look Like?
• Object/Subject of Desire

Art Installations

An art installation is a large-scale artwork that often transforms a whole room or space. Some of their installations are:

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

Awards and Recognition

Dempsey and Millan have won many awards for their creative work. They received an award from the Canadian Museums Association for one of their books. They also won a special prize for innovation from the Manitoba Arts Council.

In 2018, they were given the Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction. This is a major award that honors artists who have shown a high level of excellence over a long career in the province of Manitoba.