REGINA - The City of Regina has announced Larissa Kitchemonia as the City’s second Indigenous Artist in Residence.
Kitchemonia, a Anishnaabe-Saulteaux woman from The Key First Nation, has a bachelor’s degree in Indigenous Fine Arts from the First Nations University of Canada, and is a Master of Interdisciplinary Fine Arts candidate at the University of Regina.
She will explore the theme of ‘Urban Indigeneity’. According to the City of Regina news release, plans are to host public engagement sessions focusing on a collaborative community project of ribbon skirt, shirt sewing and medicine pouch making, along with artist talks to highlight Indigenous artists that live and work in the city.
Her artwork proposal involves an acrylic painting to capture the likeness of the participants attending her sessions.
Previously Kitchemonia had designed the opening gate entrance at the front of the new Wascana Pool, which was unveiled this year.
According to the city, “Kitchemonia’s painting, bead work and customary art practice is informed by themes of nature, womanhood and motherhood embedded with traditional, First Nation ideology and practices.”
The Indigenous Artist in Residence Program is set up to celebrate and amplify the voices of Indigenous artists and the Indigenous artistic and cultural presence in Regina. The City issued an open call in April and an expert panel of Indigenous art professionals reviewed the applications from several local artists who made submissions.
