Critical Issues in Contemporary Art Practice: Marianne Nicolson (T’ayagila’ogwa)

Marianne Nicolson is an artist activist of Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw First Nations and Scottish descent. The Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw Nations are part of the Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwak’wala speaking peoples) of the Pacific Northwest Coast. She is trained in traditional Kwakwaka’wakw forms and culture as well as contemporary gallery and museum based practice. She holds a BFA from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design (1996), an MFA from the University of Victoria (2005), and an MA and PhD in Linguistics and Anthropology from the University of Victoria (2013). Nicolson works as a cultural researcher and historian for the Kwakwaka’wakw as well as an advocate for Indigenous land rights. Her practice is multi-disciplinary, encompassing photography, painting, carving, video, installation, monumental public art, writing, and speaking. All her work is political in nature and seeks to uphold Kwakwaka’wakw traditional philosophy and worldview through contemporary mediums and technology. Exhibitions include the 17th Biennale of Sydney, Australia; The Vancouver Art Gallery; The National Museum of the American Indian in New York; Nuit Blanche in Toronto, Ontario; and many others. Major monumental public artworks are situated in Vancouver International Airport; the Canadian Embassy in Amman, Jordan; and the Canadian Embassy in Paris, France.

 

Critical Issues in Contemporary Art Practice is organized by the School of Art + Art History + Design at the University of Washington with support from the Henry Art Gallery. The general public is invited to sit alongside degree-seeking individuals studying fine art to share ideas and raise questions about contemporary art. Following the public lectures, UW graduate and undergraduate art students enrolled in ART 361/595 interface with the visiting artists in the classroom and studio.