Shelagh Keeley facts for kids

Shelagh Keeley, born in 1954, is a Canadian artist who creates many different kinds of art. She is famous for her drawings and large art setups called 'installations' that you can walk into. She also uses photography, makes films, works with other artists, and creates special books.

About Shelagh Keeley's Life

Shelagh Keeley was born in Oakville, Ontario. She studied at York University in Toronto and earned her degree in 1977. For 23 years, she lived and worked in New York City and Paris. Today, she lives in Toronto, Canada.

Exploring Shelagh Keeley's Art

Since the 1980s, Shelagh Keeley's art has been shown in Canada and around the world. Her work often focuses on the topic of 'global labour,' which means the work people do all over the world.

For example, in 2005, she created a permanent art piece for a steel factory in Mumbai, India. It was made of steel and had workers' sayings written on it. In 2009, she made another special art piece for a tea pavilion in Shanghai, China. This place was once a housing project for workers.

More recently, in 2014 and 2015, The Power Plant in Toronto asked her to create a new installation. This artwork was made for the large, tall walls of their building. She also worked with the MoMA in New York City. There, she did research and a performance with a dancer named Lin Snelling.

In 2010, two art galleries, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery and the McMaster University Museum of Art, worked together. They created a special show that looked back at 25 years of Keeley's art. This show also traveled to other galleries in Canada.

Awards and Recognition

In 2017, Shelagh Keeley received a very important award. It was the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. This award celebrates top Canadian artists.

Where You Can Find Her Art

Shelagh Keeley's artworks are part of many important art collections. You can find her pieces in:

• The Museum of Modern Art in New York City
• The Walker Art Centre in Minneapolis
• The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam
• The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa
• The Vancouver Art Gallery
• The Ryerson Image Centre in Toronto
• The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art