Presented in partnership with Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Gallery

Join us for an online chat discussing the value of public art Wednesday, Dec 1, from 12pm -1pm.

We welcome our very special guests:

Val Vint – Multimedia Artist

Chloe Chafe – Co-Director at Synonym Art Consultation

tamara rae biebrich – Senior Project Manager of Public Art, Winnipeg Arts Council

During this webinar, we will follow the journey of public art from conception, through funding, to inception. Working with three valued perspectives we will hear from, the artist, the curatorial grassroots collective and the public funding agency.

Our conversation will begin hearing from each of our panelists. What are their origin stories and their roles within the context of Artist, Organizer, and Funder. We’ll hear about their vision and inspiration for public art. How do we define the value of public art and what it means to community. Why is public art created by Indigenous Artist of particular importance? How does a piece of work morph from conception to actuality? What is the funding process for public art? And how can Indigenous Artists become involved in the creation of publicly funded artwork?

It will be a rousing and fascinating discussion coming from three very valued individual perspectives and the stages of public art they represent.

The workshop is offered Free. Please register online by 10:30 am Dec 1st, the morning of the event, and a zoom link will be sent to your email address by 11AM !

Urban Art Biz is a a series of online workshops focusing on the business side of art from an Indigenous perspective. Our goal is to provide insight into the professional world and work of Indigenous artists and Indigenous galleries.

Val Vint

Born in Winnipegosis, Manitoba, I spent the most meaningful part of my childhood in the bush chasing foxes and pelicans with my Grandfather, a conservation officer. I draw from a background of photography, ceramics, painting, engineering, design, theatre, performance art, music, travel, and work with other indigenous peoples.

My cultural heritage makes me feel that I have a license to investigate all forms of art. The Métis were fiercely independent by nature; they did everything for themselves, developing a self-sufficient and highly versatile culture. My work is varied because of that spirit, and it would be impossible to contain it within one medium.

My life’s work over the last 40 years focused on a combination of power engineering, art, cultural expression, community programming and a personal art practice. I’ve conducted workshops throughout Manitoba, Scotland, and Latin America. I am a founding member at the Indigenous Designers Cooperative and a program coordinator at Art City, both projects are close to my heart.

Although my familial story and career speaks to part of me, I am a very active community advocate through women’s organizations and drumming. I have been a member of the Buffalo Gals Drum Circle at North End Women’s Center for 16 years. I am a multimedia artist and my works include: willow-work and research of the same, fabric arts, design and creation of those designs, ceramics, feathers, rawhide, traditional tanning methods, watercolor, oil, acrylic, sculpture, public art, performance art, acting, ceramics, photography, video, writing, public art, traditional singing and drumming, and beadwork.

Chloe Chafe (she/they) is the co-founder and acting co-director of both Synonym Art Consultation and Wall-to-Wall Mural + Culture Festival. Chafe is a settler based in Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her curatorial practice is based in street art, performance and the dissemination of socially conscious art practices in all forms of public spaces. Chafe’s research is rooted in accessible artworks in communities, the long lasting impacts of mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is currently finishing her bachelor of Fine Arts History at University of Manitoba, however the majority of her education has been generously passed down from community art mentors, colleagues, youth, and teachers over the years.

Synonym Art Consultation is a curatorial collective and small arts business based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Through unique, inclusive and community-minded events, as well as our mural and culture festival – Wall-to-Wall, Synonym strives to cultivate a grassroots contemporary street-art movement in our city and to participate in hyperlocal and international dialogues around important issues, such as social responsibility, and innovative economic development, rooted in the arts.

Synonym Art Consultations and its projects, programs, and events are committed to curation that uplifts artists, mentors, musicians, and performers belonging to under-supported communities, particularly those who identify as Black, Indigenous, Afro-Indigenous, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, artists with disabilities, and any and all people who fall within these intersections.

tamara rae biebrich is Senior Public Art Project Manager for the Winnipeg Arts Council. She works with City administration, artists and communities to integrate art in Winnipeg’s public spaces. Winnipeg’s Public Art Program is managed by the Winnipeg Arts Council on behalf of the City of Winnipeg. The Program endeavours to increase the use and enjoyment of public space, build social cohesion and celebrate the unique character of Winnipeg, a city located on Treaty 1 Territory and the lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene Peoples, in the homeland of the Métis Nation.

The Winnipeg Arts Council Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation with charitable status, charged by the City of Winnipeg to distribute funding to arts organizations and artists, to manage the City’s Public Art Policy, and to champion development of the arts for the people of Winnipeg. As a pre-eminent city-building organization, the Winnipeg Arts Council focuses on the quality of life in the city and how arts and culture determines Winnipeg’s reputation as a City of the Arts, both nationally and internationally.