Indigenous arts

This research was conducted in six waves over the course of 2020 and 2021. This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the sixth wave of research are now available.

Findings for Alberta organizations from Wave 6 results include:

• Comfort has developed into a very predictable pattern that follows case numbers and now vaccine rates.
• Albertans will return at their own pace; participation hinges on personal comfort but also personal risk tolerance.
• There is a consensus that there will be less of a return to “normal” but rather a new way of doing things moving forward.
• Because Albertans have spent the past year and half discovering new things to do, the selection of what they can choose from now is quite vast.
• Spending habits are in flux, and at this point it is difficult to predict where Albertans will direct their money in the short term.

What are the implications for Alberta organizations?

• Even as restrictions have been removed, organizations still need to deal with comfort. As it stands, there is clear hesitancy in the audience and it will be important to communicate safety measures to make audiences comfortable when re-engaging.
• Organizations should keep in mind that public sentiment is a more useful barometer over government announcements. Gauging expectations for increased participation to occur will be based on a combination of comfort and risk tolerance.
• Organizations should expect more permanent (structural) changes to stick around – specifically related to organizational transparency, flexibility with refunds, new payment options, etc. These should be things that organizations consider keeping even if they are no longer required by the government.
• The main consideration for organizations remains flexibility – in terms of payment options, participation options, etc. This will allow for consideration on different levels as Albertans suss out how they want to direct their spending.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report
• Edmonton Report

About the project

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative was funded by:

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta

On November 17, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the 2021 winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks). Inuk writer, Dr. Norma Dunning, who is based in Edmonton, Alberta, has been awarded the English-language fiction prize for her short story collection Tainna: The Unseen Ones.

About the writer

On top of being a writer, Dr. Norma Dunning is also a scholar, researcher, professor and grandmother. Her previous short story collection, Annie Muktuk and Other Stories (University of Alberta Press, 2017), received the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, the Howard O’Hagan Award for short stories and the Bronze Foreword INDIES award for short stories. 

About the book

Six powerful short stories centred on modern-day Inuk characters are woven together in Tainna. Dr. Dunning drew on both lived experience and cultural memory, to write Tainna—meaning “the unseen ones” and pronounced Da‑e‑nn‑a.

Read more about Tainna.

About the GGBooks

The 14 best books of 2021 published in Canada, were selected by peer assessment committees that chose award winners from 70 finalists in seven categories, in both English and in French.

• Jenna Butler (Barrhead, Alberta) was listed as finalist for Revery: A Year of Bees under the English-language non-fiction category.

Founded in 1936, the Governor General's Literary Awards are among Canada's oldest and most prestigious prizes for literature. There are seven categories, awarded in both French and English, with $25,000 going to each winning book.

More information

Read more on CBC News.

On June 25, 2021, the Alberta government announced it would work with Indigenous communities to establish a permanent memorial on the Alberta legislature grounds for the victims of the residential school system.

Indigenous artists can submit a Expression of Interest for a memorial on legislature grounds to honour residential school students who never came home.

Funding

Up to $1 million.

Eligible applicants

This Request for an Expression of Interest is open to the following categories of Indigenous artists from or living in Alberta:

• individual artist
• artist-led teams
• artist collectives
• partnerships of artists

Recent familial connections to Alberta First Nations or with the Metis Settlements and Métis Nation Regions are required.

Deadline

Deadline to apply: July 29 at 2 pm MT.

For more info:

news release

Learn more on eligibility requirements and how to apply by clicking on the pink button below.

For further information or to set up an informational meeting please contact ir.rscrg@gov.ab.ca.

Like the rest of the world, Alberta is navigating a new reality brought by a pandemic that is changing public life and re-shaping our economy. Organizations in the arts, culture, sports, recreation, tourism and hospitality sectors, all which rely on live, group experiences, are grappling with new challenges. Organizations need to be prepared for a change in audience behaviour. The question is what that will look like, now and over the coming months.

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative is being funded by: 

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts 
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development 
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta

​This research is being conducted in six waves over the course of the next year with the first wave of results (based on surveys conducted between May 21 and June 2, 2020) now available.

This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the first wave of research are now available.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report
• Edmonton Report

You can subscribe to receive notifications when the new reports are available by visiting stone-olafson.com. 

Join the AFA in recognizing its 30th Anniversary and the annual Month of the Artist by celebrating our local artists and arts organizations. Get to know Robin Cisek, singer/songwriter.  

Robin Cisek is a singer/ songwriter who creates melodic and moody, alternative pop with introspective and vulnerable lyrics. Jump to her bio below. As of June 2021, new music from her most recent album, Delicate Minds, is available now on her website or via Spotify.

We had an opportunity ask Robin about her music, her artistic practice, and about being an artist in Alberta...

Tell us about your music practice

I typically have a very fluid process when it comes to songwriting. In the past, I have scratched entire songs and then started over to create something I love.

When I am writing, I like leaving room in my songs to be creative. The recording studio can be a fantastic place to be spontaneous and come up with new ideas and having too rigid of a song structure often closes you off to the possibilities.

I like to connect my songwriting to my own experiences, I have taken inspiration with my experiences with health problems, my own mental health and relationships of mine or of people around me. It is important to me to create songs that talk about important things that connect people through common feelings thoughts and emotions.

^{Album cover for Robin Cisek's Delicate Minds}

My latest album, Delicate Minds, is about all different aspects of mental health which I view as a universal subject. I think everyone can relate to having anxiety, having a bad mental health day or experiencing trauma in their lives and we need to talk about it more often to normalize it.

What is it like to be an artist working in Alberta?

Being a pop artist in a western province has sometimes created challenges. My genre of music doesn't typically fit with what people expect to hear at live concerts.

On the other hand, and many people may not know this, but in Alberta, especially Edmonton where I am located, there is a beautiful, vibrant community of artists and musicians! There are so many people who I've met, worked beside, collaborated with and watched grow that are so incredibly talented and unique.

It's been really cool to be involved in this community!

^{Robin in studio with her producers}

You recently posted on Instagram about successes from the past year. Can you tell us about a few highlights?

I've definitely been feeling extremely blessed with the new album I've released. It's been really cool to see so many people relate to the things I talk about in my music. The music and the topics within the songs have been very well received, and I have had opportunities that I could have never expected. It's been a huge step in my career as a musician.

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts has provided me with an Individual Project Grant that has allowed me to capitalize on my music's success and create more opportunities for my career. Through their support in marketing and promoting my project, I've been able to share my music and my personal message about mental health with new people.

This summer, I've had more streams than ever before and it has opened doors to sync licensing, radio charts, performance opportunities and so much more! I am also super excited to be attending a program from Canada's Music Incubator as one of 7 chosen to be part of APTN and RBC's Indigenous Music Accelerator. I know it will be an amazing opportunity to progress my career and learn from some amazing mentors.

Currently, I'm working on new music and looking to get back in the studio soon! I received an Individual Micro-grant from Alberta Music which is supporting my next single!

The last year has offered little opportunity for live, in-person performance. How have you adjusted during the pandemic?

The pandemic has been especially challenging for all artists and musicians, and has really challenged me to get creative! I've had to rely on different tools like social media, livestreaming, YouTube and other outlets to progress my career.

^{Robin performing in Edmonton in 2019 at the Northern Alberta Jubiliee Auditiorium}

I've been very fortunate to land performance opportunities both online and socially distanced when restrictions allowed for it. This year, my live shows are something I have been looking to improve on. I just want to give people a really great show especially when people are stuck inside and missing that human interaction! I've been investing in my live show and practicing my craft, and I can't wait for the next chance to perform!

For me, this year has been about adapting and talking about the real things that are affecting all of us, like our mental health. On the negative side, I wish I could perform live more and I wish I could have gone out, networked, and had a chance to pound the pavement for my debut album.

On the positive side, it's allowed me to take the time to reconnect with myself creatively, hone my craft and improve what I'm working on. I'm excited for what is to come!

What’s the most important thing Albertans can do to support local artists in Alberta?

One of the most important things that Albertans can do is to support local artists on social media.

By liking, following, sharing, streaming and commenting on posts, videos, music etc. you are helping our music get out there and giving positive feedback that lets us know we are supported. It only takes a moment of your time, doesn't cost anything, and helps our content reach new listeners who may support us too!

During the pandemic, when we aren't allowed to go out, play live and hustle our merch and CDs, social media is one of the only ways we are able to reach people and share what we do. If you have the funds to do so, consider purchasing some merch or CDs from an artist you love, hiring them for a socially distanced or live streamed concert, or even giving a donation or tip!

Finally, and perhaps a little controversially, the ultimate way for you to support local musicians is to make sure they're getting treated and paid fairly. We as artists have costs to cover, being a musician is a challenging career choice and, even though it is appreciated, we can't make a living and continue to make music on exposure alone.

Often I see musicians playing free shows and receiving no compensation for their time on stage, the hours of practice before, and the equipment they use. I think this is something that needs to change in the music industry. All musicians and artists appreciate it when people support them and work to make sure that they recieve fair pay for their effort, skill and time.

So next time you see someone playing live music, throw a 5'er into the guitar case or make sure your organization has a budget to compensate or present an honorarium to an artist or musician!

Robin Cisek bio

Robin uses her soulful and highly stylized vocals to create mysterious and dramatic narratives that are captivating and powerful. Robin’s inspiration comes from her own experiences and her Indigenous heritage.

Robin is emerging professional artist and released her first commercial song at the end of 2017, and then another in 2018. Robin’s single, “Waiting on You” claimed the #1 spot on an Indigenous International Radio chart and remained on the countdown for 24 weeks.

With her Freshman album, released in June 2021, Robin shows her dedication to creating music that has a profound meaning while being melodic, catchy and listenable. Through her new music she will be discussing the deep meanings and emotional aspects of mental health while infusing her lyrics and sound with hopefulness and a positive outlook on the future.

How will you take part in art and support artists? Share your experiences through social media by tagging the AFA and using the hashtag #TakePartInArt.

This research is being conducted in six waves over the course of the next year. This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the third wave of research are now available. 

Findings for Alberta organizations from Wave 3 results include:

• Community attitudes on comfort are becoming entrenched.
• Risk tolerance provides a richer understanding of how Albertans will approach engagement.
• Right now audiences indicate they need to hear experiences will be safe and fun.
• Capitalize on desire for shared experiences but with a focus on innovation and intimacy.
• The intersection of cohorts, shared experiences, and risk tolerance means audiences will engage, but appear to be doing so with their cohorts in mind - "will this put my friends/family at risk?". 

What are the implications for Alberta organizations?

• Comfort with conditions and other people has dampened willingness to actually engage in their usual activities. It is likely this variable is an additional barrier impacting final consideration of participating in activities.
• The benefits you offer and the messaging you broadcast must overcome that broader interpretation of risk. Whereas risk used to be overcome simply by appealing to the motivations of the individual, now we will have to assuage safety/health concerns that impact the people around the individual (i.e. safety measures are not just for you; they are for those around you.)
• Knowing who you can reach, what to offer them and what to say will be critical as organizations plan how to engage audiences in the coming months.
• Right now audiences indicate they need to hear the experiences they will have are safe and fun. This is critical for building confidence and organizations need to reinforce those dual messages of safety/comfort with enjoyment. The weight of each type of message will vary depending on how risk tolerant the audience is.
• Audiences need to hear they will be able to have the desired shared experiences but that the experience is safe (for them and their cohort). To balance those needs of social, safety, and fun, organizations will need to develop and continuously reinvent (often many times over) the types of small group offerings that deliver this.
• Opportunities exist for organizations in the experience economy to engage Albertans by balancing the notion of cohorts with shared experiences. Show them how to engage with their entire cohort or at least show the activity will not put their cohort at risk.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report 
• Edmonton Report

You can subscribe to receive notifications when the new reports are available by visiting stone-olafson.com. 

About the project

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative is being funded by: 

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts 
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development 
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta

On September 29, 2022, we marked the 50th Anniversary of the AFA Art Collection. As part of the celebrations, we are sharing snippets from the history of the collection. 
Learn more about the celebrations! 

By Larissa Hauck, former Art Collections Officer, and Kristin Stoesz, Art Collections Registrar

How often do you imagine AFA staff will discover an unknown collection of Alberta art while out on assignment? Well, it’s happened at least once!

The AFA's Art Placement Program began in 1976 as a way to ensure Albertans have the opportunity to enjoy the collection and enhance public spaces in government offices and buildings, and nonprofit organizations. The AFA currently has more than 100 Art Placement Program loans throughout Alberta.

The discovery

In July 2015, AFA Art Placement staff travelled to the downtown Edmonton office of the Government of Alberta's former Public Affairs Bureau to remove all of the artwork on loan in preparation for their move to the Edmonton Federal Building (now officially known as the Queen Elizabeth II Building).

As staff removed artwork from the walls and wrapped the works to prepare for shipping, they discovered a unique collection of 25 artworks that were not part of the AFA Art Collection, nor any of Alberta's other 14 provincial art collections.

Carole Bondaroff, Rosebud, 1985, etching on paper

It was almost too good to be true! With early artworks by prominent Albertan artists such as Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert and Carol Bondaroff, it seemed like a lost cultural treasure had been discovered. 

As AFA staff pondered over these new discoveries a few questions came to mind like:

• where did this art come from?
• why was it created?
• how did it end up in the Public Affairs Bureau?

Each of the artworks had envelopes secured to the back that held a fragment of information about the artist and artwork. It was apparent that the research into this collection had only just begun...

The mystery unravels...

It turned out that these artworks were owned by the Public Affairs Bureau, which originally commissioned them for the Alberta Pavilion at the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication in Vancouver. Upon completion of the event, the artworks were relocated to Edmonton.

Expo 86 Scan

AFA staff suggested the possibility of a transfer of these artworks to the AFA Art Collection. The works were well-suited for both art placement and exhibition programming, and they reflected the history of the Government of Alberta’s involvement in Expo 1986.

Both parties agreed that the artworks would benefit from being transferred to the AFA as it would:

• increase public access to the works 
• promote Alberta artists
• ensure proper care through the AFA’s maintenance and conservation programs.

The transfer was completed in March 2016. The artworks are a valuable addition to the AFA collection as they address gaps in representation of artwork from sections of the Alberta visual arts community.

The artists

In addition to Cardinal-Schubert and Bondaroff, the 25 artworks included work by Albertan artists Ken Christopher, Amy Loewan, Helen Mackie, Irene McCaugherty, Stan Phelps and Jim Stokes.

Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert

Among the artworks, AFA staff discovered six oil pastel on paper drawings by Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert.

Cardinal-Schubert was a highly regarded member of the visual arts community, not only as an artist working in variety of visual mediums, but also as a poet, lecturer, activist, and advocate for First Nations People. In 1994, she was awarded the Commemorative Medal of Canada for contribution to the Arts in Canada. In 2003, Cardinal-Schubert was granted an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Law, from the University of Calgary.

The six artworks were completed from 1980-1985, and are strong examples of the artist’s work from this period.

Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert, This is the Earth, 1985, oil pastel on paper

Helen Mackie

Also discovered were five works by Helen Mackie, who who was active in Alberta’s visual arts community for several decades.

Mackie was a member of the Calgary Allied Arts Foundation, the Secretary and Treasurer of the Alberta Society of Artists, and the Alberta Printmaker’s Society. Her work resides in local, national, and international collections, including the Glenbow Museum and Nickle Galleries in Calgary, MacEwan University in Edmonton, the Canada Council Art Bank in Ottawa, and the Windsor Castle Library in England.

Mackie’s artworks continue to be popular in the AFA's Art Placement and TREX programs. Cows Near Night was included in the 2016 TREX Region 2 (programmed by the Art Gallery of Alberta) exhibition entitled Cattle Call. The below etching and woodblock print on paper is a strong example of Mackie’s work that highlights Alberta’s prairie landscapes and cattle culture.

Helen Mackie, Cows Near Night, n.d., etching and woodblock on paper

The AFA Art Collection continues to grow through acquisition methods including the Art Acquisition by Application Program, Curatorial Acquisition Program and through generous donations by individuals and organizations.

The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation is proud to announce that artist Faye HeavyShield (Blood Reserve, Kainaiwa Nation, AB), writer and filmmaker Cheryl Foggo (Calgary, AB), and dance choreographer Vicki Adams Willis (Calgary, AB), have been selected to receive the 2021 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award.

Arlene Strom, chair of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation said, “Albertans can be proud of these three whose contributions have pushed the boundaries of art to reflect Indigenous identity and expression; present a more inclusive and diverse view of Alberta’s history; and define the province as a beacon for jazz dance artists. Each has contributed immeasurably to the development of the province’s artists, arts communities and expanding art disciplines.”

Faye HeavyShield, Visual Arts

Over the past 30 years, Faye HeavyShield is one of Canada’s pre-eminent artists within Alberta and the Blackfoot Confederacy. Currently living on the Blood Reserve in southwestern Alberta, Faye studied at Alberta University for the Arts in Calgary. 

Honouring her Kainaiwa (Blood) Nation, the striking landscape they dwell within and the Blackfoot language which she speaks, Faye HeavyShield’s legacy of three-dimensional art and sculpture, including recent installations incorporating photography and delicately constructed paper figures, make her a senior figure in the artistic and cultural renaissance of Indigenous nations in the country. 

Cheryl Foggo, Playwright, screenwriter, film maker, author

Creating a more inclusive and diverse view of Alberta’s history through her plays, films, books, articles and multi-media presentations has been Cheryl Foggo’s life work. Profiled in Who’s Who in Black Canada and the recipient of the 2008 national Harry Jerome Award for The Arts, Foggo has applied her talent as a researcher and writer to uncovering the compelling but overlooked stories of Alberta’s Black settlers and cowboys. Most recently, the award winning National Film Board feature-length documentary, John Ware Reclaimed (2020), highlighted an earlier thriving Black community in the province often left out of the history books.

Her seminal, autobiographical book, Pourin’ Down Rain: A Black Woman Claims Her Place In The Canadian West was reprinted in 2020 to commemorate its 30th anniversary. In addition to her books, Cheryl Foggo has published prose in more than 40 journals and anthologies. Two new productions of Foggo‘s plays are scheduled in 2021 with the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton and the Urgency Collective in Calgary, and her short play The Sender is currently available through Toronto’s Obsidian Company’s 21 Black Futures Project. As a cultural activist, mentor and volunteer she advocates for writers and Black artists.

Vicki Adams Willis, Performing Arts: Dance  

Vicki Adams Willis has changed the face of jazz dance in Alberta and Canada. A co-founder nearly 40 years ago of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD), she is foremost a teacher and choreographer of more than 35 original productions. Jazz dance is a misunderstood art form. Born of African parents and of the Black American experience, Vicki Adams Willis acknowledges herself as a guest in this form and has demonstrated her deep understanding of, and utter respect for, the authentic roots and history of jazz through her research, teaching and choreography. She is recognized as a true leader in the world of jazz; an acclaimed ground-breaking choreographer who created one of the most unique jazz dance companies in the world, and the key person to ensure Calgary, Alberta as a viable dance centre for serious jazz artists. 

“These three ground-breaking women have offered important contributions to the arts in Canada. Their creativity has brought new light to their respective disciplines and created countless opportunities for us all to learn, grow and explore fresh ideas. Artists like this are essential to the vibrancy of our communities and we are truly fortunate to have them as cultural leaders in our province and country as a whole.” Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 

Ceremony

The awards patron, the Honourable Salma Lakhani Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, will present the awards at a celebration hosted by the Community of Lac La Biche and Portage College, Lac La Biche campus, at an awards event June 10 and 11, 2022. This celebration in 2022 will also include recognition of the 2022 Emerging Artists.

The 2021 Distinguished Artists were chosen from nominations received and reviewed by a jury of experts overseen by the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Jurors for the 2021 Distinguished Artist Awards were Mary-Beth Laviolette, visual arts curator and author; John Estacio, 2017 Distinguished Artist and JUNO nominated composer;  Seika Boye, scholar, writer, artist and Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies; Jordan Abel, Nisga’a writer from Vancouver and Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta teaching Indigenous Literatures and Creative Writing.