Understanding Aboriginal Arts in Canada: A Literature Review
Fall 2010
France Trépanier’s research residency at Artexte plays an essential part in a larger project, undertaken in collaboration with Chris Creighton-Kelly, which consists of conducting research with the aim of publishing an analysis on documentation and writing published on Aboriginal arts in Canada. Their research is organized around major themes including: Aboriginal worldview; Canada’s colonial history; indigenous and immigrant cultures; European arts lens and its limitations; the place of art in communities; aboriginal artists considerations; aboriginal arts awareness; looking towards the future.
At Artexte, Trépanier will examine publications on Aboriginal arts since the 1970s. The literature review will identify the factors influencing Aboriginal arts practices and the contexts in which these practices are taking place while demonstrating the diversity, complexity, resilience, and the impact of this work to both an Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal audience.
France Trépanier is a visual artist, a curator and a researcher of both Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) and French ancestry. Her artistic and curatorial work has been presented in Canada and in Europe. Over the last few years, she has authored numerous articles and research papers on Aboriginal arts. She has organized numerous conferences, conducted public consultations and facilitated events for both institutions and non-profit organizations such as the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective, the National Aboriginal Network for Arts Administrators, and The Banff Centre. She also directed the Capacity Building Program Review and the Aboriginal Literature Review for the Canada Council for the Arts. France Trépanier worked at the Canada Council for the Arts before becoming a Senior Policy Advisor for the Department of Canadian Heritage. She held a diplomatic post as First Secretary, Cultural Affairs at the Canadian Embassy in Paris. She was the Director of the Centre for New Media at the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris. She was also the co-founder and Director of the artist-run centre Axe Néo-7 in Gatineau, Quebec. She currently lives in Sidney, British Columbia.