Ria Links Artists for Systems Change:
Salon in the Cloud #2
On Collaboration in Inter-Disciplinary Art Projects between Black and Indigenous People, People of Colour, and White People.
With Patsea Griffin, Robert Snikkar, and Carmel Whittle
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Past event: December 16th, 2020, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/9luz918sERk
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Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #83 states:
“We call upon the Canada Council for the Arts to establish, as a funding priority, a strategy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to undertake collaborative projects and p produce works that contribute to the reconciliation process.”
Podcast#83 is an example of such a collaboration.
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The second Ria-Links-Salon-in-the-Cloud originated with the recent launch of Podcast#83, created by the artists Patsea Griffin, Rob Snikkar, and Carmel Whittle. The podcast grapples with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Recommendation #83.
Co-hosts developers of this podcast, Rob, Carmel, and Patsea, received a grant from the Canada Council for this project. Ria Links was fortunate to host these artists in a Salon in the Cloud. We thank them for their time and enthusiasm to do this presentation which gives the artists’ community of Ottawa and surroundings, as well as virtual guests from far away, an opportunity to get to know more about Ottawa area artists who foster a decolonizing spirit, a much-needed mentality for System Change!
A special thank you also goes to Dawn Dale who managed this Zoom meeting.
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Carmel and Patsea write: In this presentation we introduce the No Borders Art Festival and present the works of artists, musicians & community members of the Ottawa region, FN, Metis, Inuit, BIPOC, immigrants, refugees & members of the 2SLGBTQA+ community as well as those global partners that we have collaborated with to create a great event that occurs usually in May. We discuss the continued connections built in community, and in particular projects that were born from these connections with the NBAF. We will speak to the Thunderbird Sisters Collective, Beading with Patsea, and Podcast#83.
No Borders Art Festival acknowledges that the festival is on unceded un-surrendered Anishinaabe-Aki territory. NBAF’s belief is that the process of decolonization and liberation of knowledge must be a collective action based on respect and solidarity. NBAF is calling on people from different disciplines, backgrounds, ages, sex/gender identities, ethnicities, abilities, and incomes, to come together in celebration.
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Rob writes: The topics I discuss are: 1. Podcast # 83: The hosts and our special relationship. A list of the guests and the content presented. 2. The larger project: How does the podcast fit into a larger scheme to promote reconciliation through artists' collaborations? An open-source model of participation. 3. The progress of collaborations: examples of collaborations emerging from our efforts.
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Biographies of the artists
Carmel A. Whittle is a Mi’kmaq/Irish from NL & Lab. She is an educator, art facilitator and curator, visual artist, songwriter, and filmmaker who identifies as she, queer and 2Spirit. She is an activist for social justice. Carmel is co-director and curator of the No Borders Art Festival and coordinates the Indigenous Artist Coalition and the Thunderbird Sisters Collective. She works as a community outreach and indigenous liaison with the Nectar Community and Art Centre and continues her studies at Carleton University in the Indigenous Canadian studies program.
Patsea Griffin: Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. Patsea is a special blend of many bloodlines including Ontario Métis with roots on the Algonquin unceded territory and European settler communities. She has partnered with Carmel Whittle to create several successful Indigenous projects such as On Our Land, Bringing the Land to the City and the No Borders Art Festival . Patsea is the founder of the Thunderbird Sisters Collective, a non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting the art and skills of indigenous artists. She loves to facilitate the Beading with Patsea! workshops. Patsea can be found on Facebook and Instagram @thunderbirdsisters@beadingwithpatsea@shiningwaterdesigns instagram@patseagriffin
Robert Snikkar: I have no MFA – I make art. I used to be a computer programmer & analyst as well as a community literacy worker and teacher of adult ed. and high school. I’m from a downtown Toronto working-class, multiracial neighbourhood where I learned my early experiential lessons in white privilege and class. I am not an anti-intellectual but I am anti-institutional and anti-establishment. I have been told that I have a problem with authority – but I’d say that I have a problem with false authority. New video A Selfie for the White Race - A collection of protest artworks - paintings and poems - investigating issues of white privilege, decolonization, and race. https://www.academia.edu/video/Mkzobj
