Exhibition wins at Ontario Galleries Awards!

2022 Ontario Galleries Award Winners

Our exhibition won exhibition of the year (monographic, under $20,000). So grateful to the Agnes Etherington Art Centre for supporting my work but especially to the two most kind, gentle, thoughtful curators Suzanne van de Meerendonk and Michelle Bunton for the care they showed to me, my work & community in putting together the exhibition Shé:kon se’onhwentsyà:ke ratinékere tsi nihá:ti nè:ne yesanorónhkhwa (there are still people in the world that love you)

Nyá:wen and love to Hilda Nicholas for her beautiful translations and Kanyen’keha support on this project.

A big thank you to Sam at Shoebox Studio for their attention to detail in printing my work for this show.

Views of Tetewatsinehta’rá:ron – let’s all bead! with Shelby Lisk and Liv Rondeau at Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Photos: Tim Forbes

And nyá:wen to Liv Rondeau for helping me put together a beautiful beading workshop during the show.

Shé:kon se’onhwentsyà:ke ratinékere tsi nihá:ti nè:ne yesanorónhkhwa (there are still people in the world that love you)

In Conversation with Filmmaker Jennifer Podemski

The Prince Edward County Arts Council presents a new Indigenous Voices series. I will be there giving a talk on December 8, 2022. More info below:

Join us for the official launch event of the Prince Edward County Arts Council's (County Arts') Indigenous Voices Series - In Conversation with Jennifer Podemski and Shelby Lisk: The Arts as a Platform for Indigenous Storytelling and Activism. We are so honoured to welcome these two esteemed artists for this crucial conversation. Please view their Artist Bios below.

Entry is free or by donation, with all proceeds going to Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na (TTO), a non-profit dedicated to revitalizing Mohawk language and culture in Tyendinaga. Please reserve your spot below. (Please note that a credit card processing fee and ticketing fee will be added to your donation amount.) We can also accept cash donations at the event. Macaulay Church Museum is located at 23 Church Street, Picton, Ontario, K0K 2T0.

The Indigenous Voices Series is funded by County Arts' newly established Indigenous Voices Fund, made possible through a $30,000 multi-year donation from a resident committed to advancing our community's truth and reconciliation efforts, and the inclusion of Indigenous voices. Learn more on our website.

Beads and Pieces - Exhibition announcement

Check out my piece "Still now here we are” on display this Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 on Sparks St. in downtown Ottawa.

Very grateful to have my artwork showing alongside two Anishnaabe artists that I greatly admire: Barry Ace and Nadia Myre.

"With beaded earrings, photographer Shelby Lisk renews ties with the women in her life" - Globe and Mail article

Nyá:wen to Rukhsar Ali for writing this thoughtful piece on my portrait series "Shé:kon se’onhwentsyà:ke ratinékere tsi nihá:ti nè:ne yesanorónhkhwa (There are still people in the world that love you)"

This work is on display at the Woodland Cultural Centre until August 14, as a part of the show "Sense of Belonging: A Place Called Home" with Rosalie Favell and Alex Jacobs-Blum

Read the Globe and Mail article here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/article-shelby-lisk-photography-exhibition/

"Sense of Belonging: A Place Called Home" Exhibition Announcement

June 3, 2022, (Brantford/Six Nations, ON): The Woodland Cultural Centre (WCC) is pleased to announce a new exhibition, Sense of Belonging: A Place Called Home. The exhibition features three contemporary Indigenous lens-based women artists whose artistic practice weaves painting, beadwork, photography to connect the notions of identity, family, community and land. Personal experiences as a modern woman narrate individual journeys through visual storytelling celebrating language, culture and history. Curated by WCC Curator, Patricia Deadman, the interconnectedness and inter-generational artworks are both inspiring and beautiful. The exhibition opens June 4 continues to August 13, 2022.

Introducing The Art of Sovereignty Podcast!

I'm very excited to announce that our podcast about Indigenous art and narrative sovereignty is finally here!! What an amazing experience it has been making this podcast, including fighting for our own narrative sovereignty and building an ALL Indigenous production team (all the writing, interviewing, hosting, and audio editing, is done by Indigenous folks, our logo is designed by artist Sonny Assu and the first words you'll hear on each episode are in our languages). We felt this was so important for a podcast about OUR sovereignty, taking back our history, and telling OUR stories. We also spoke with amazing Indigenous artists, curators, and educators. I cannot wait for you to hear it!!

The first two episodes are out and they explore the lives, artwork, and stereotypes that followed Norval Morrisseau and Daphne Odjig as they broke into the contemporary art scene in Canada and how they pushed back to share their stories for future generations.

Nyawen'kó:wa to Ossie Michelin for his out-of-this-world support during this process, Chris Beaver, for being my NDN partner in crime at TVO, and for his fantastic editing.

I also couldn't have finished this project without the encouraging words of Bonnie Devine and her kindness and generosity in sharing her story and about the art of the Anishinaabe people. As well as the support and mentorship of Betty Ann Adam, who taught me about asking for what you need and making space for Indigenous stories in media.

And, of course, to the do-it-all woman who runs the podcast show at TVO, Katie O'Connor - thank you for holding it all together!

I cannot wait for you to hear us on The Art of Sovereignty. Like, share, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/the-art-of-sovereignty

2021 Indigenous Photograph Year in Pictures

Take a moment to check out some beautiful work by Indigenous photographers from around the world. So happy to have one of my photos included in the 2021 Indigenous Photograph Year in Pictures

"Studies in Solitude" - Agnes Etherington Artist Residency

Studios in Solitude is a micro-residency program probing solitude’s dual potential as both a disruptive force and site of historic privilege. This past year has required artists to repeatedly pause, pivot and adapt their practices. In recognition of this precarious backdrop for artmaking, and in keeping with Agnes’s new iterative style of programming that emphasizes the social and civic function of the gallery, this micro-residency offers Agnes’s space and resources to support solitary contemplation or creation without the pressure of productivity. Participating artists-in-residence are site-specific theatre artist Mo Horner, multimedia and beadwork artist Shelby Lisk, graphic artist ck nosun and multimedia installation artist Vivian Sheng.

FREE FOOD: Food Sovereignty Film Screening and Panel

Join us for a screening of Rematriate: Passing the Seeds by Shelby Lisk, and a discussion on paths to food sovereignty with Ama Amponsah of Seed Change Canada, and Professors Nikki Auten (Indigenous Studies, Fleming College) and Priscilla Settee (Indigenous People’s program, University of Saskatchewan).

Tuesday October 26, 6 PM EST
Film screening & discussion on Zoom

My photography featured on LENSCRATCH

“A year ago, Spirit: Focus on Indigenous, Art, Artists and Issues, was launched featuring artists Will Wilson, Shelley Niro, Meryl McMaster, Kiliii Yuyan, Donna Garcia, Pat Kane, Jeremy Dennis, and the collaboration of Kali Spitzer and Bubzee.

The objective was to elevate Indigenous voices and highlight Indigenous issues, as well as create opportunities for the artists, with the end goal being securing purchases of Indigenous artwork within mainstream museums’ permanent collections.

Today, we celebrate Indigenous People’s Day and continue that celebration throughout the week with Indigenous art, artists and issues at the forefront. This year we asked the participants from 2020 to nominate their fellow artists for 2021. This year’s featured artists include Pat Kane and Brian Adams (nominated by Kiliii Yuyan), Robby Dick (nominated by Kali Spitzer), Jenny Irene Miller (nominated by Jeremy Dennis), Shelby Lisk (nominated by Pat Kane), and Tonita Cervantes (nominated by Donna Garcia).”

My work was selected this year and Donna Garcia wrote a great post about my series ‘Time spent breathing with water’ which I created during an artist residency on Toronto Island in 2019:

http://lenscratch.com/2021/10/spirit-focus-on-indigenous-art-artists-and-issues-shelby-lisk/