Sherry Farrell Racette facts for kids

Sherry Farrell Racette (born in 1952) is a talented First Nations artist, writer, and expert. She is also a curator, which means she helps organize art shows. Sherry is well-known for her work on Indigenous and Canadian art history. She teaches Visual Arts at the University of Regina.

About Sherry Farrell Racette

Sherry Racette was born in Manitoba, Canada. She is from the Métis people, who are a mix of Indigenous and European cultures. She is also a member of the Timiskaming First Nation.

She studied at the University of Regina, earning a master's degree in Education. Later, she completed her PhD at the University of Manitoba. Her PhD studies focused on Native Studies, Anthropology, and History.

Her Work and Art

Sherry Racette uses her art to share stories about Aboriginal people and women. She is a board member of the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective. This group helps support Indigenous artists and curators.

Art and Exhibitions

Sherry's paintings have been shown in many books and places. Her work "The Flower Beadwork People" was published in 1992. Other artworks by her include a poster called "Keep Your Spirit Free" and a collection of "Flags of the Métis." These are on display at the Gabriel Dumont Institute.

Her art is also shown at the Mackenzie Art Gallery in Saskatchewan. Sherry is part of the Saskatchewan Arts Board. She also helps the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation. In 2009-2010, she created an exhibition about objects that hold memories.

In 2013, she helped with an exhibition at the Montreal McCord Museum. It was called "Wearing Our Identity: The First People's Collection." This show explored how Indigenous people express who they are through what they wear.

Curating Exhibitions

Sherry Racette has helped put together important art shows.

• In 2022, she co-curated Radical Stitch. This was a big show about modern Indigenous beadwork. It was shown at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. She worked with Cathy Mattes and Michelle Lavallee on this project.
• Also in 2022, she co-curated Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth. This exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery showed Métis art and history. She worked with Cathy Mattes on this show.

Writing and Illustrations

Sherry has illustrated several books for readers. This means she drew the pictures for them.

• 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).

Special Art Projects

Sherry Racette creates paintings and art using different materials. Her art has been shown in many solo and group exhibitions. She has also won awards for the children's books she illustrated.

In 2012, she helped create "Walking With Our Sisters." This was a special art installation. It honors the many Indigenous women in Canada who are missing or have been murdered. Hundreds of artists made handmade moccasins for this project. The installation has traveled to many cities since 2013.