Sherry Farrell Racette facts for kids

Sherry Farrell Racette (born 1952) is a talented First Nations scholar, author, curator, and artist. She is well-known for her important work in Indigenous and Canadian art history. Currently, she is a professor of Visual Arts at the University of Regina.

About Sherry Farrell Racette

Sherry Racette was born in Manitoba, Canada, in 1952. She is part of the Métis people. She is also a member of the Timiskaming First Nation.

Education and Teaching

Racette has a master's degree in Education from the University of Regina. She also earned her PhD in Native Studies, Anthropology, and History from the University of Manitoba. In 2007, she taught at Concordia University.

Her Amazing Work

Sherry Farrell Racette has done many things in her career. She uses her art and writing to share stories and history.

Academic and Artistic Career

Racette is a board member of the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective. This group helps promote Indigenous art and culture. Her artwork often highlights the history of Aboriginal people, especially women.

Her paintings have been shown in many books and publications. One of her famous works is "The Flower Beadwork People." It was published in 1992 by the Gabriel Dumont Institute. Other artworks by Racette at the institute include the poster "Keep Your Spirit Free" and the collection "Flags of the Métis." Her art can also be seen at the Mackenzie Art Gallery in Saskatchewan.

Racette is also a member of the Saskatchewan Arts Board. She serves on the board of the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation. In 2009-2010, she was a Resident Scholar at the School for Advanced Research. There, she created an exhibition about objects and memory. In 2013, she helped as a consultant for an exhibition. It was called "Wearing Our Identity : The First People's Collection" at the Montreal McCord Museum. Sherry Racette has also been featured as an artist in the book "The Artist Herself : Self-Portraits by Canadian Historical Women Artists."

Curating Exhibitions

Sherry Racette is also a skilled curator. This means she helps organize art shows.

• Radical Stitch: In 2022, she helped organize a big art show called Radical Stitch. She worked with Cathy Mattes and Michelle Lavallee. This show was the first major exhibition of modern Indigenous beadwork. It was presented at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
• Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth: Also in 2022, she co-curated another important exhibition. It was called Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth. This show focused on Métis art and history. It was held at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Writing and Illustrations

Racette has illustrated several books, bringing stories to life with her art.

• The Flower Beadwork People (1985)
• Stories of the Road Allowance People (1995)
• Flies to the Moon (1999)
• Little Voice (2001)

She also helped edit a book called Clearing a Path: New Ways of Seeing Traditional Indigenous Art (2015).

Her Artwork

Sherry Racette creates paintings and multimedia art. Her art has been shown in many places. This includes solo shows, group shows, and museum exhibitions. She has also won awards for the children's books she illustrated.

In 2012, she worked on a special art project. It was called "Walking With Our Sisters." She co-curated this project with Christi Belcourt. This art installation honors the lives of hundreds of missing or murdered Indigenous women in Canada. The installation has traveled to many cities since 2013. These cities include Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, and Ottawa. For this exhibition, many artists donated handmade moccasins. Each pair of moccasins honors the life of an Aboriginal woman.