First Name: Jane

Last Name: Poitras

Full Name: Jane Ash Poitras

Date of birth: 1951

Place of birth: Fort Chipewyan, Alberta

Community/Heritage: Mikisew Cree, Dene

Sex: Female

Art Media: painting, printmaking, mixed media

Bio:

Jane Ash Poitras’ career is one defined by patchworks and transformations. Of Mikisew Cree and Dene descent, Poitras was born in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, and following her mother’s death at an early age, was raised as a Catholic in Edmonton. She attended the University of Alberta, receiving first a BSc in microbiology followed by a BFA in printmaking. She completed her studies with an MFA in printmaking from Columbia University’s School of Painting and Sculpture. During her studies here, she was exposed to a wide variety of influences, including American artists such as Cy Twombly and Robert Rauschenberg and European colourists such as Wassily Kandinsky and Hans Hofmann. Initially working in etching, she moved to printmaking, painting, and collage, developing a highly expressive visual language of layered images, text, readymade, and found objects.

Informed by her spiritual upbringing, as an adult Poitras turned to an exploration of her Cree heritage and culture. Much of her practice fuses personal and historic imagery in order to explore the native experience and to share knowledge: she travels extensively, participating in the rituals of various Indigenous cultures. The strength of her work comes from her skill in synthesizing disparate narratives and sources of knowledge, frequently incorporating topics as varied as pharmacology, ethnobotany, and linguistics. This broad range of interests and inspirations have been paired with an acute awareness of Western and Japanese art histories and contemporary movements, resulting in a vibrant and densely layered body of work.

Poitras is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and is a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Her work can be found in public and private collections across Canada and internationally, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the McMichael Collection, The Royal Ontario Museum and the Canadian Museum of History. She continues to be an active member of her community, mentoring young Aboriginal artists and frequently lecturing at the University of Alberta.

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions:

2012 Cultural Memories and Imagined Futures: The Art of Jane Ash Poitras, Canada House Gallery, Banff, AB

2011 Atchemowin (The Storyteller), Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton, AB

2010 Transitions, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, ON

2010 Consecrated Medicine, Curated exhibition, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON

2010 Caribou Dreams, Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton, AB

2009 Cultural Transitions, Galerie d’Art Vincent, Ottawa, ON

2008 Galerie d’Art Vincent, Ottawa, ON

2008 Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton, AB

2008 The Mountain Gallery at Chateau Whistler, Whistler, BC

2007 Galerie d’Art Vincent, Ottawa, ON

2007 Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton AB

2006 Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, ON

2005 Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton, AB

2005 Galerie d’Art Vincent, Ottawa, ON

2004 Consecrated Medicine – Thunder Bay Art Gallery (Touring to Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, SK; Prairie Art Gallery, Grande Prairie, AB; Grimsby Art Gallery, Grimsby, ON; Woodland Cultural Centre, Brantford, ON ) Curated by Virginia Eichhorn

2004 Galerie d’Art Vincent, Ottawa, ON

2004 The Mountain Gallery at Chateau Whistler, Whistler, BC

2003 Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton

2003 Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON

2003 The Mountain Gallery at Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper, AB

2002 Galerie d’Art Vincent, Ottawa, ON

2001 Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON

2000 Mikinook Gallery, Delft, The Netherlands

1999 Canadian Cultural Centre, Canadian Embassy, Paris, France

1999 Canadian Embassy, Washington, DC

1999 Ceremony, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON

1998 Shamans and Sages, Russell Gallery, Peterborough, ON

1998 Holy Man, Joy Tash Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

1997 New Paintings, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON

1996 Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON

1995 Russell Gallery, Peterborough, ON

1994 New Work, Robertson Gallery, Ottawa, ON

1994 Leo Kamen Gallery, Toronto, ON

1993 Elaine Horwitch Gallery, Sante Fe, NM

1993 Leo Kamen Gallery, Toronto, ON

1993 West End Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1992-93 Who Discovered The Americas? (Touring) Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, ON, Curated by Janet Clark

1992 Recycled Blackboards, Leo Kamen Gallery, Toronto, ON

1992 Americas, Andalusian Pavilion at Expo ’92, Seville, Spain

1992 Shamanic Journey, Leo Kamen Gallery, Toronto, ON

1991 Peyote Visions, Woltjen Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC

1991 New Work, Elaine Horwitch Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

1990 Power Shields, West End Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1990 Indigenous Blackboards, Woltjen Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC

1989 Fort Chip Blackboards, West End Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1988 Fort Chip Breakfast Club, Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial, Provincial Museum, Edmonton, AB, Curated by Dr. Pat McCormack

1987 Sweat Lodge Etchings, (Touring) Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Curated by Karen Duffek

1987 Vik Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1986 Prints and Collages, Brignall Gallery, Toronto, ON

1985 Vik Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1985 Robert Vanderleelie Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1985 MFA Thesis Show, Columbia University, New York, NY

Group Exhibitions

2012 Venerator – Contemporary Art from the AGA Collection, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

2008 Red Tile, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

2000 I. Witness, Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB, Curated by Catherine Crowston

1998 Shaman Never Die, Galerie d’Art Vincent, Ottawa, ON

1998 Three Spirits, Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1997-99 State(s) of the Nation, (Touring) Confederation Centre of the Arts, Charlottetown, PE

1997 Image Rites, Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery, Halifax, NS, Curated by Ingrid Jenkner

1997 Art Expo ’97, Singapore

1996 Alberta Biennial, Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB and Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB, Curated by Bruce Grenville and Catherine Mastin

1996 Intolerance, Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, AB, Curated by Catherine Crowston

1995 Joy Tash Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

1995 Leo Kamen Gallery, Toronto, ON

1995 Survivors Breast Cancer Project, Woodlawn Arts Foundation, Toronto, ON

1995 Basket, Bead and Quill, Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, ON, Curated by Janet Clark

1994 Profiles in Jeans, Profiles Gallery, St. Albert, AB

1994 Small Works Exhibition, Elaine Horwitch Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

1994 Women and Paint, Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, SK, Curated by Judith Mastai

1994 NewZones Gallery of Contemporary Art, Calgary, AB

1994 Spur me on - who leads, who follows, Profiles Gallery, St. Albert, AB

1994 The Cabinet Project, The Power Plant Gallery, Toronto, ON

1992 Canada’s First People - A Celebration of Contemporary Native Visual Arts, (International Tour), Curated by Dana Williams for Syncrude Canada Ltd.

1992 First Women, Pitt Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Curated by Dana Claxton

1992 Hot Native Art, American Indian Community House Gallery, New York, NY,

Curated by Lloyd Oxendine

1992 Americas, Monasterio de Santa Clara, Moguer (Huelva), Spain

1992 500 Years After Columbus, Mercer Union, Toronto, ON

1992 Indigena, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, QC, Curated by Gerald McMaster

1992 New Territories . . . 350/500 Years After, Atelier Vision Planetaire, Montreal, QC, Curated by Dana Williams and Pierre-Leon Tetrault

1992 Carriers of the Fire, American Indian Community House Museum, New York, NY, Curated by Lloyd Oxendine

1991-92 Changers: A Spiritual Renaissance, (Touring) Curated by Shirley Bear

1991 ArtWorks, (Featured Artist) Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB, Curated by Elizabeth Kidd

1990 Eleven Stories: Mixed Media Works by Eleven Native American Artists, (Touring), Sacred Circle Gallery of American Indian Art, Seattle, WA

1990 Seeing Red, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Curated by Michael Bell

1990 Ritual and Magic, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, MB, Curated by Shirley Madill

1990 4th Biennial Native American Fine Arts Invitational, The Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ, Curated by Margaret Archuleta

1990 Asum Mena, Alberta Indian Arts & Crafts Society, Edmonton, AB

1989 New Alberta Art: Diversities, (Three artists) Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB, Curated by Vera Lemecha

1989 Art of the First People, York Quay Gallery, Harbourfront, Toronto, ON, Crated by Naomi McCormack

1989 Beyond History, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Curated by Karen Duffek and Tom Hill

1989 The Shadow of the Sun, (International Tour) Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, QC, Curated by Gerald McMaster

1989 Asum Mena, Alberta Indian Arts & Crafts Society, Edmonton, AB

1988 Crossing the Circle: Indian and Inuit Art From Canada, (Touring) Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, QC, Curated by Gerald McMaster

1988 Modern Echoes of Ancient Dreams, Art Court, Ottawa, ON

1988 Ode Min, Laurentian University Museum and Arts Centre, Sudbury, ON, Curated by Pamela Krueger

1988 Survey Alberta ’98, Olympics Art Festival, 1988 Winter Olympics, Alberta College of Art Gallery, Calgary, AB, Curated by Diana Nemiroff, National Gallery of Canada and Jeffrey Spalding, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery

1988 Indian Art 88, Woodland Cultural Educational Centre, Brantford, ON, Curated by Tom Hill

1988 Asum Mena, Alberta Indian Arts & Crafts Society, Edmonton, AB

1987 Los Angeles Celebration of Canadian Contemporary Native Art, Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, CA, Curated by Tom Hill

1987 Asum Mena, Alberta Indian Arts and Crafts Society, Edmonton, AB

1986-87 Stardusters (Four-artist touring exhibition), Thunder Bay Art Gallery,

Thunder Bay, ON, Curated by Garry Mainprize

1986 Cross Cultural Views, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Curated by Diana Nemiroff

1986 Small Works Exhibition, National Schoharie County Art Council, New York, Curated by Barry Walker, Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY

1986 Indian Art ’86, Woodland Indian Cultural Educational Centre, Brantford, ON, Curated by Tom Hill

1986 Keepers of the Land, Woodland Indian Cultural Educational Centre, Brantford, ON, Curated by Tom Hill

1986 New Beginnings, Native Business Summit, Toronto, ON, Curated by Robert Houle

1986 Four-Woman Group Show, Brignall Gallery, Toronto, ON, Curated by Robert Houle

1986 Contemporary American Prints (Tiffany Collection), Brooklyn Museum,

Brooklyn, NY, Curated by Barry Walker

1986 Asum Mena, Alberta Indian Arts & Crafts Society, Edmonton, AB

1985 Three Rivers Art Festival (Juried), Pittsburgh, PA

1985 Interstice 22, 22 Wooster Gallery, New York, NY

1985 First International Competition, Ariel Gallery, New York, NY

1985 Manhattan National Print ’85, Manhattan, KS

1985 Hangsa Annual ‘85 (Invited Participant), Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art,

Tokyo, Japan

1985 Cabo Frio International Print Biennial, Cabo Frio, Brazil.

1985 Asum Mena, Alberta Indian Arts & Crafts Society, Edmonton, AB

1984 Izbagrafic ’84, Museo de Art contemporaneo, Ibiza, Spain

1984 International Independante Exhibition of Prints, Prefectual Gallery, Kanagawa, Japan

1984 Inaugural Emerging Native Artist of Alberta Competition (Winner and Featured Artist), Alberta Indian Arts & Crafts Society and Vik Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1983 Universiade ’83 Kaleidoscope Native Art Exhibit (Commissioned Work), Edmonton, AB

1983 University of Alberta 75th Anniversary Exhibition, Edmonton, AB

1983 UCLA Third National Print Exhibition, Los Angeles, CA

1983 Group Exhibition, Ringhouse Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1982 Group Exhibition, Shadows Gallery, Edmonton, AB

1982 Alberta Culture Summer Exhibition, Edmonton, AB

1981 Group Exhibition, Canadiana Galleries, Edmonton, AB

Collections

Aboriginal Affairs, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Edmonton, AB

Alberta Indian Arts & Crafts Society Collection, Edmonton, AB

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON

Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough, ON

Justice Department, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Bank of Montreal

Bank of Nova Scotia

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, ON

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, PQ

Canadian Native Arts Foundation, Toronto, ON

Joan Chalmers Collection, Toronto, ON

City of Edmonton, Edmonton, AB

Columbia University, New York, NY

Confederation Centre for the Arts, Charlottetown, PEI

Robbie Davidson, Edmonton, AB

Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, SK

Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB

Ernst Young Collection, Toronto, ON

Agnes Etherington Gallery, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON

External Affairs Canada, Ottawa, ON

Retired Madam Justice Nina Foster, Edmonton, AB

Madame Justice Sheila Greckol, Edmonton, AB

Hewlett Packard Limited Collection, Toronto, ON

Indian Art Centre, Ottawa, ON

Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, BC

Laurentian University Museum and Art Centre, Sudbury, ON

Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina, SK

McMichael Canadian Collection, Kleinburg, ON

Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, SK

Mikisew Cree Nation, Fort Chipewyan, AB

Mississauga Art Gallery, Mississauga, ON

National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, Toronto, ON

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON

Nestles Canada Ltd. Collection, Toronto, ON

Nova Scotia Art Gallery, Halifax, NS

Peace Hills Trust Company, Edmonton, AB

Peguis First Nation, MB

Alex Pringle, Edmonton, AB

Robin Phillips Collection, Stratford, ON

Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto, ON

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON

John Ralston Saul and Adrienne Clarkson

Senate of Canada

Maurice and Hanne Strong, New York and Colorado

Syncrude Canada Limited Collection, Fort McMurray, AB

Dr. Ronald Tasker, Toronto, ON

Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, ON

University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, AB

University of Alberta Permanent Collection, Edmonton, AB

University of Toronto, Toronto, ON

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC

Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Centre, Banff, AB

Windsor Art Gallery, Windsor, ON

Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, MB

Woodland Indian Cultural Educational Centre, Brantford, ON

Yale University, New Haven, CT

Awards

2017 Order of Canada

2015 Honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) degree from the University of Alberta

2015 Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree from the University of Calgary

2013 Honorary Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Humber College, Toronto

2013 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

2009 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award

2007 Mikisew Cree First Nation Member Recognition Award

2006 Alumnus Award of Excellence from the University of Alberta Alumni Association

2006 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Arts and Culture

2005 Recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal

2005 Finalist for Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award

2003 Induction into City of Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame (Salute to Excellence Awards)

2002 RCA Designation (Royal Canadian Academy of Artists)

1998 Canada Council “A” Grant

1998 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Award

1994 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Grant

1993 Canada Council “B” Grant

1990 Canada Council “B” Grant

1986 National Award, Schoharie County Arts Council Small Works Exhibition, New York

1985 Northern Alberta Development Council Bursary

1984 Northern Alberta Development Council Bursary

1984 New York State Scholarship

1984 First Winner of Emerging Native Artist of Alberta Award

1984 Alberta Culture Study Grant

1985 Helen R. Elser Scholarship, Columbia University, New York, NY

1983-85 Syncrude Canada Scholarship

1981-85 Indian and Northern Affairs Bursary

1978 Graphex Purchase Award

1972-73 Lady Rodney Scholarship