NWIA Announces Departure Of Artistic Director, Erika Iserhoff

It is with both appreciation and sadness that Native Women in the Arts announces the departure of our Artistic Director, Erika Iserhoff. Erika has led the organization for over 5 years, and greatly contributed to its growth and dynamism. Erika departs NWIA to enter a new and exciting position as Grants Facilitator for the recently launched Indigenous Culture Fund.

erikaiserhoff

Artistic Director, Erika Iserhoff

“Erika has proven herself as an outstanding leader in many respects,” says NWIA Chair of the Board Kerry Potts. “She came to us as someone with a great deal of potential, with so much creative ability, and a real grounding in the indigenous arts community, as well as in her own indigenous culture.  Her potential has transformed over the years into genuine leadership ability. She has truly raised NWIA to new heights.”

In her time at NWIA, Erika has overseen the financial growth of the organization by connecting with a range of new partners and funders.  This has allowed the organization to grow our team of staff and offer new and exciting artistic and community projects. With her leadership, NWIA built new connections to communities in Northern Ontario, assisted in launching the annual Barbara Laronde Award for emerging artists, presented a new cultural series that connect artistic minds to cultural teachers, and grown the Kwe Performance Series into a meaningful platform to showcase some of our most exceptional Indigenous talent and connect them to schools, under-serviced communities, and Toronto audiences and organizations.  In this final year, she worked with NWIA’s Mentor, Denise Bolduc, to help produce Tributaries that opened this year’s Luminato Festival, was named the emerging laureate of the Ontario Art Council’s Indigenous Arts Award, and moved NWIA into it’s new home at the Artscape Youngplace in the former Shaw Street School.

In departing, Erika offers these words: “It has been an amazing almost six years of working as the Artistic Producer and Artistic Director at Native Women in the Arts. I want to say chi miigwetch for the opportunity to grow with NWIA over these years, and I am very thankful to everyone who has supported me in these roles, from my mentors Kerry Swanson and Denise Bolduc, to my colleagues, Christa Couture and Quach George. NWIA could not have gotten through it all without each of you!”

“Going forward, I have been given an opportunity to play an expanded role in the development and funding of Indigenous cultural projects with the Ontario Arts Council. This new opportunity involves facilitating cultural grants for First Nation’s projects, and this important work is a continuance of my work at NWIA. I would like to thank everyone I have worked with thus far within Indigenous arts and cultural communities, and I look forward to continuing to work with everyone, and to also developing new relationships in these communities.”

The Board and Staff at NWIA send thanks to Erika for her dedication to this organization and to Indigenous artists, and for being a well-loved leader and manager.  She will be missed, but we know that our relationship will continue as she moves into this exciting new position at the Ontario Arts Council.

Native Women in the Arts is currently seeking applications for the position of Artistic Director, and is accepting resumes to info@nwia.ca by October 23rd, 2017. Please visit www.nwia.ca and find us on Facebook for the job posting.  Due to the volume of applicants, please direct inquiries to info@nwia.ca exclusively.

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