Ayita & VIDEA Art Installation

ADRIANNE BEAUREGARDE

Adrianne Beauregard is a Métis interdisciplinary visual artist based in Edmonton, Alberta ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (amiskwacîwâskahikan). Her practice currently searches for an aesthetic which is experiential and immersive and pulls from Indigenous land based methodologies, stories, and traditional practices.

Beauregard considers the land and her surroundings as her primary medium; she works
conceptually and often finds inspiration from personal experience, observations, and
text. Her interests currently stem from her ancestry and the distinct nature of the Métis
people and culture. She often reflects on the feeling of stumbling through the feeling of
displacement experienced from being of both settler and Cree descent and living with the lasting impacts created by colonialism.

Her experience draws from a decade of involvement within art organizations working as an artist, volunteer, and cultural worker in Edmonton, AB and area. Beauregard is a BFA graduate from the University of Alberta and is currently active in the community as the Visual Arts Curator for SkirtsAfire Festival 2022, a committee member for Schmoozy, Latitude53, and as Project Manager for the Art From Here II project, Latitude53. She also serves her Métis community as an employee with the Métis Nation of Alberta.

DANIELA MASELLIS

Daniela Masellis is a theatre designer and independent design professional originally from and currently based on Treaty 6 Territory in the city of amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta). She works mainly in the areas of set, lighting, and projection for theatre, dance and live events. Her training includes a B.F.A. of Theatre Design from the University of Alberta, a Grant MacEwan Diploma of Fine Arts, and a design apprenticeship in Italy at ‘Teatro alla Scala Milano’. Over the last decade, Daniela has designed across Canada collaborating on over 70 productions with companies such as The Stratford Festival, the Arts Club,The Citadel Theatre, Workshop West, Akpik Theatre, Western Canada Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Alberta Opera, and Teatro LaQuindicina among many others.

LANA WHISKEYJACK

Lana Whiskeyjack is a multidisciplinary treaty scholartist (scholar and artist) from Saddle Lake Cree Nation and is an assistant professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. In 2017, Lana completed her iyiniw pimâtisiwin kiskeyihtamowin doctoral program at  University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quill, a former Indian Residential School attended by two generations of her own family. She integrates Indigenous ways of knowing and being with methods of Western academia in her research and course development. Lana’s research, writing, and creativity are focused on Indigenous gender diversity and sexualities, intergenerational resilience, and Indigenous visual literacy. Her current research project explores issues around the theme of (re)connecting to the spirit of nêhiyawêwin (Cree language), nêhiyaw gender worldviews, and the iskwew (woman) body relation to the cosmic and earth within 13 moon teachings through arts-based practices. She is featured in a documentary about confronting and transcending historical trauma through her arts practice titled, “Lana Gets Her Talk” (2017).

NANCY DESJARLAIS

Nancy Desjarlais is of Cree and Metis ancestry from the Fort McMurray 468 First Nation. When she was six, she and her siblings were uprooted from their home and put into a convent and then non native foster homes. Later, as a young adult, she reconnected with her birth family and began her exploration and reclamation of her Cree heritage. She found that nature was at the core of her healing. A strong and peaceful connection to the earth as well as spiritual teachings from her traditional Cree culture became powerful sources that inspire her art. 

Nancy graduated with a BFA with Distinction from the University of Alberta in 1994. She has received  numerous arts awards. In Edmonton, the Peace Hills Trust annual Native Art competition motivated her to develop her artistic vision and skills. Her work can be viewed at the Bearclaw Gallery in Edmonton or through internet searches. 

Nancy lives in Edmonton and her life is blessed with 8 grandchildren, all living within the boundaries of Edmonton.

CINDY PAUL

Cindy Paul is an established producer, songwriter, recording artist and educator. She is proud to be taking on the role as VIDEA’s community facilitator for the Iskwêwiwin project. Her passion for sharing her Cree/Metis northern stories and her unique sound captured her nominations from New York’s Native American Music and Canadian Folk Music Awards and her original composition “He Can Fancy Dance” is internationally recognized for residential school education and cultural awareness. Cindy facilitates music and video production, song writing and visual art workshops across Canada and is an advocate for health and healing through natural therapies, music and art. 

DONITA LARGE

Donita Large is Cree singer-songwriter from Saddle Lake First Nation. As the Four Directions Wellness Specialist for the Braided Journeys Program for the Edmonton Catholic School District, she is excited to partner and create opportunities for young women with the Iskwêwiwin project. She has many years experience working with youth, social work, addictions and adult education. Donita created and produced the music for a University of Alberta educational video called “Territorial Acknowledgements: Going Beyond the Script.”  and has recently released two amazing new music singles to rave reviews.