Category: News

This call for nominations is open to emerging Indigenous artists from Northern Ontario who identify as Women (Trans, Non-Binary, Genderqueer, Two Spirited & Cis). Please note that you can nominate yourself or someone else.

Eligibility:

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• To be considered for an award the artist must be an Indigenous person living in Northern Ontario (Métis, Inuit, Status and Non-Status First Nations peoples)
• This award is for Indigenous artists who identify as Women which includes Trans and Two-Spirit Women as well as Cis Women. This award is also open to Two-Spirit artists who may identify as Non-binary and Genderqueer who prefer the use of they/them pronouns.
• Must be at the emerging stages of artistic career. We define an emerging artist as:
  • In the early stage of their career, regardless of age
  • Has created a modest body of work
  • Has had some evidence of professional achievement but may not yet have a substantial record of accomplishments.
  • One who is not yet recognized as an established or mid-career artists by other artists, curators, producers, critics, community members, and arts administrators.
  • One who shows significant potential, yet may be under-recognized
• Open to all artistic disciplines including:
  • Traditional/Customary Arts (Beading, Carving, Quillwork, Tufting, Weaving)
  • Visual Arts (Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Installation and performance art)
  • Performing Arts (Dance, Music, Theatre)
  • Media Arts (Film, video, New Media)
  • Literary arts
• Must live in one of these geographical regions in northern Ontario:
  • Kenora District
  • Algoma District
  • Cochrane District
  • Manitoulin District
  • Nipissing District
  • Parry Sound District
  • Sudbury District
  • Timiskaming District
  • Rainy River District
  • Thunder Bay District
• All eligible artists are encouraged to apply.
• Individuals can also nominate an eligible artist they feel deserves this award.

To apply please submit the following:

• One-page letter outlining why you or the artist you are nominating should receive this award
• Images, audio, written or video support material of your artwork. Please do not send original artworks.
• A full length bio and resume
• If you are submitting on behalf of yourself please include a letter of support from someone who is familiar with your career in the arts.

Application Deadline: September 30, 2019

Value of Award: $1500 Cash

Please note: The award recipient will be chosen by the board of directors of NWIA

Our Vision: To support and celebrate the achievement of an Indigenous Women (Trans, Non-Binary, Genderqueer, Two Spirited & Cis) artist from Northern Ontario, and to provide financial support and career enhancing opportunities to encourage their continued excellence.

The Impact: The Barbara Laronde Award will foster the careers of emerging artists from Indigenous (on and off reserve) communities in Northern Ontario by showcasing excellence and innovation. NWIA recognizes the geographic and economic barriers that many Northern artists face, and aims to support artists by creating connections, professional development, and performance opportunities. Over 25 years, NWIA has delivered theatre, dance, music, and spoken word productions and published three books of Indigenous visual art and writing. We also produce a series of community-driven artist talks, leadership and cultural workshops, youth arts projects to audiences interested in arts, culture, and the advancement of Indigenous peoples.

Please share this call on Facebook, Twitter, and by email to family and friends!

Please submit your application to Native Women in the Arts: awards@nwia.ca

For more info visit: www.nwia.ca/apply

Donate to The Barbara Laronde Award this Holiday Season! Support Indigenous Women and Two-Spirit Artist in the North.

Donations make great gifts! Each year the Barbara Laronde Award celebrates and acknowledges the career of one emerging, Northern-Ontario based, Indigenous Woman or Two-Spirit artist. Check out the past award recipients here.

With your support, the Barbara Laronde Award can continue to aid emerging artists for years to come. 100% of your donations benefit the artist.

About the award:

– $1500 cash award to the selected emerging artist based in the north

– Promotion of their work through NWIA networks

– Opportunities for presentation of their works

– Full cost of travel expenses and award plaque

NWIA aims to expand this award in the near future to support the careers of these artists further and requires support from its donors to accomplish this.

If you would like to make a donation as a gift, email NWIA at awards@nwia.ca and specify the recipient’s name. We will list their name on our website as a 2019 NWIA donor.

To donate online to The Barbara Laronde Award click here.

Cheques can be mailed and made payable to:

Native Women in the Arts
180 Shaw Street, Suite 208
Toronto, ON
M6J 2W5

About The Barbara Laronde Award

The Barbara Laronde Award was created to honour the legacy of NWIA Founder, Sandra Laronde, and her vision and commitment to Indigenous artists. It is named after her mother, Barbara, who has been the backbone of her family and a leader in the Northern Ontario community, Temagami First Nation. Barbara inspired her children to be creative and entrepreneurial, and it was with this spirit that NWIA launched this award in 2015.

NWIA is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Women and Two-Spirit people who share the common interest of art, culture, community, and the advancement of Indigenous peoples.

Thank you for your continued support of NWIA and the Barbara Laronde Award.

Native Women in the Arts is pleased to announce the winner of the fourth annual Barbara Laronde Award: Caitlyn Bird

Caitlyn Bird, 23, an Anishnaabe Woman from Noatkamegwanning First Nation (Whitefish Bay) who grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario where she developed a love for the traditional arts focusing on beading. She utilizes traditional techniques and methods while allowing herself to explore through contemporary methods of color, and design. She obtained vast knowledge from her great Grandmother and women within her community. In ensuring the continuation of knowledge, she accepts any opportunity to share what she has been taught in hopes of inspiring others whilst, encouraging them to learn more about their culture and history.

She graduated, 2016, from Lakehead University with her Indigenous Learning degree and now attends the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, NM obtaining her BFA in Museum Studies. She continues to bead and design daily and believes her love for beading has guided her and “Kin-nan-nim-mig-go” (takes care of her) in numerous ways. She hopes her love of art continues to connect her with her culture and community.

Bird was selected from a number of applications from across Northern Ontario. Artistic Director, Ariel Smith remarked: “ On behalf of the Board and staff of NWIA, we are thrilled to present this award to Caitlyn in recognition of her talent and commitment to her craft. We have no doubt she will continue to grow and evolve as a practicing artist and wish her all the best in her future endeavours. ” NWIA is excited to support the continuing creative and professional achievements of Caitlyn Bird with a $1500 award, which will be presented with Barbara Laronde on Sunday, July 22, 2018, at the Temagami Canoe Festival.

The Barbara Laronde Award was created to honour the legacy of NWIA founder Sandra Laronde and her vision and commitment to Indigenous artists. It celebrates and acknowledges the career of one outstanding, emerging, Northern-Ontario based Indigenous female artist, recognizing the geographic and economic barriers that many northern artists face.

Sandra Laronde’s 19 years of leadership at NWIA paved the way for many Indigenous artists at various stages of their careers. The award is named after her mother, Barbara, who has been the backbone of her family and a leader in the Northern Ontario community, Temagami First Nation. Barbara inspired her children to be creative and entrepreneurial, and it is with this spirit that NWIA launched this award in 2015.

The Temagami Canoe Festival, July 21 – 22, 2018 at the Temagami Waterfront Park is a celebration of Canadian Canoe Culture. This two-day indoor-outdoor, multistage, family-friendly celebration hosts activities that include: canoe displays, demos, and workshops, canoe race events, historical talks, birch bark canoes, guided old growth forest hikes, live music, food and craft vendors, and much more.

For more information please visit: https://www.temagamicanoefestival.com/