Skeena Reece facts for kids

Skeena Reece (born 1974) is a talented artist from Canada. She is part of the Cree, Tsimshian, Gitksan, and Métis peoples. Skeena Reece creates many different kinds of art. These include live performances, writing songs, and making video art. She is also known for her unique "sacred clowning" performances.

About Skeena Reece

Skeena Reece was born in 1974. Her mother, Cleo Reece, was an activist in the Red Power movement. Her father, Victor Reece, was a famous carver. Skeena studied art at the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art. She also studied media arts at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

Skeena Reece has been working in the arts since 1996. She lives on Vancouver Island in Canada. She has also helped manage art places, like the grunt gallery. There, she learned about curating art shows. Skeena Reece started the Native Youth Artists Collective. She was also the Director of the Indigenous Media Arts Group from 2005 to 2007.

Her Art and Messages

Skeena Reece is known for art that explores important issues. She often talks about the effects of colonialism on Indigenous communities. This includes how it has impacted Indigenous women. Her art sometimes challenges people to think differently.

The Sacred Clown and Trickster Figures

Skeena Reece connects her art to the idea of a "sacred clown." This is a figure from Hopi culture. A sacred clown teaches important lessons in unusual ways. She also uses ideas from trickster figures like Coyote and Raven. These figures are often playful but also very wise.

For example, in her performance Raven on the Colonial Fleet (2010), she wore special clothing. This clothing included a corset, skirt, and blanket with traditional Indigenous designs. She also wore a feathered headdress. Headdresses are usually worn by men in Plains cultures. By wearing it, Skeena Reece made a statement about gender roles. Her clothing also had images of grenades and mythological figures. This showed her as a "fe/male warrior" fighting against colonial harm. She performed this piece at the 17th Biennale of Sydney in Australia in 2010.

Challenging Perspectives

In 2008, Skeena Reece performed at the National Museum of the American Indian. She dressed as a nurse and asked the audience, "Does anyone want to share any feelings you have about being a colonizer?" Another artist then painted one of Columbus's ships with red paint. Skeena Reece explained that this was like white people taking the "blood" of her people. She felt they were painting their own version of history.

Healing and Connection

Skeena Reece's art also focuses on caring and making things right. Her video Touch Me (2013) shows these themes. She made it for an exhibition about Canadian Residential Schools. In the video, Skeena Reece gently washes Ukrainian-Canadian artist Sandra Semchuk. As she washes, Semchuk becomes emotional, and Skeena Reece comforts her.

This film was inspired by Skeena Reece's own parents. They both survived Canadian Residential Schools. The video shows a desire for connection between people. It is about touch, closeness, and caring for elders.

Skeena Reece also acted in the short film "Savage." This film was about residential schools. It won several awards in 2010. These included a Genie award for Best Short Film. It also won a Golden Sheaf Award and the ReelWorld Outstanding Canadian Short Film award. Skeena Reece won Leo Awards for Best Actress and Best Editing for her role.

More recently, she has created large moss bags. These are like the bags used to carry babies. They represent the care that families give to new members. They also remind us that everyone needs care throughout their lives.

Art Shows and Performances

Skeena Reece's art has been shown in many places. Here are some of her exhibitions and performances:

• 2019 – Surrounded: Skeena Reece, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• 2018 – Sweetgrass and Honey, Plug In ICA, Winnipeg and at the Comox Valley Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• 2017 – Moss, Oboro Gallery, Montreal, Canada
• 2015 – The Sacred Clown and Other Strangers, Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• 2013 – Witnesses: Art and Canada’s Indian Residential Schools, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• 2012 – BEAT NATION: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture, Vancouver Art Gallery, British Columbia, Canada
• 2012 – Like a Boss, The Power Plant, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2011 – Acting Out, Claiming Space, Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
• 2010 – The Beauty of Distance: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age, 17th Biennale of Sydney
• 2009 – Please Do Not Disturb, Nuit Blanche, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2009 – Vampyre Love Ball, LIVE Biennale, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• 2008 – UBC Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• 2008 – It’s not TV, It’s Indians!, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC, United States

Awards and Recognition

Skeena Reece has received several awards for her important work:

• 2017 – The Hnatyshyn Foundation, REVEAL: Indigenous Arts Award
• 2014 – VIVA Award, 2014
• 2012 – British Columbia Creative Achievement Foundation, Award for First Nations Art