New Works
I have been experimenting with oil and have found the medium beautiful to work with despite the fumes that come with it. The texture of oil paint and blending/mixing of colour is less abrasive than acrylics, plus the extended drying time allows you work with colour depth and texture much longer than you would have with acrylics.
These two new works “Sundance Memory” and “Rebel” are my most recent works in oil - different in style for sure but I do like to experiment with art making - these compositions are a result of Covid 19 - with the societal changes we must engage in has made me look back into my early memories of life. “Sundance Memory” is just that, way back when I was very young I recall a visit in Alberta to such an event - honestly I don’t recall what it actually was but it was a place my Dad took my sister and me to while visiting relatives, we parked away from the event and walked across an open field toward a rather large circular encampment- there were a few teepees and tents around and I remember drumming. Its a faded memory- but one that Covid brought back to me - that freedom to gather and this I believe is my youngest memory of that freedom.
“Rebel” is a self portrait from a photo dating to about 1993/4 - at the time I was heavily involved with the Society of Canadian Artists of Native Ancestry where as a society we advocated for inclusion of contemporary Indigenous into collections of Provincial and Public art galleries and the National Gallery as well, we pressured Provincial and Federal funding agencies to recognize the professionalism of Indigenous artists and to include Indigenous artists on peer assessment committees. So, I knew by being the Co- Chair of this organization that I would be indeed labeled a “Rebel” by those galleries and institutions we challenged. Strange how things workout as I ended up working both in a Provincial gallery (Art Gallery of Nova Scotia) as their first Indigenous curator and eventually at the Canada Council for the Arts, Canada’s art funding body as their first Indigenous Visual Arts Officer.
Sundance Memory
Rebel
FOUR PROMINENT CANADIANS TO RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREES DURING OCAD U'S FIRST VIRTUAL CONVOCATION
OCAD University is proud to announce this year’s honorary degree recipients: The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Métis visual artist and curator Jim Logan, award-winning video director Julien Christian Lutz (known as Director X) and internationally recognized surgeon and OCAD U alumnus, Dr. John Semple.
The Honorary Degree Committee, chaired by Chancellor Salah Bachir, selected the recipients from a list of nominees submitted by the OCAD University community.
“It is a great pleasure to present these degrees to four extraordinary Canadians who have made a remarkable impact on society. They represent the resilience, creativity and values that will guide us through the COVID-19 pandemic and help us to make a better post-COVID world,” said Dr. Sara Diamond, OCAD University President and Vice-Chancellor. “They will inspire and help us celebrate our graduating students.”
In response to current ongoing physical distancing and travel restrictions, the university will hold a virtual convocation on Friday, June 12.
The convocation celebrates the graduation of more than 700 students. Also, student medal winners will be presented with their awards, and a number of faculty members will be honoured with teaching awards for their exceptional contribution to the university
Jim Logan
Jim Logan (Cree/Sioux-Métis) has changed our cultural landscape through a profound contribution in visual arts and culture through his practice as a visual artist, curator, and arts administrator over the last 35 years.
Logan's dynamic narrative paintings portray Indigenous survivance by depicting the realities of dealing with colonial trauma. They have been included in seminal exhibitions that initiated the Indigenous Art movement in Canada and his work has also been included in important touring national and international overviews of contemporary Indigenous art.
His distinguished career includes many firsts: in 1999, Logan became the first Indigenous curator at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; the first three Indigenous solo exhibitions occurred at the National Gallery of Canada (also curated by Indigenous curators) as a result of Logan’s leadership; in 2002, Logan became the first Indigenous Visual Arts Officer at the Canada Council for the Arts and served and shaped Indigenous art until 2018.
From the Yukon, to British Columbia, to Nova Scotia, to the nation's capital, Jim Logan has advanced Indigenous rights through the arts in service and leadership. He has been a trailblazer in illuminating a path for Indigenous arts and culture.