In 2020 NIAA connected Northern Indigenous artists online with one-on-one mentorship with Jermaine Henry and through zoom gatherings to hangout and connect emerging artists in our first creative online residency.
We are excited to highlight a few artists from 2020’s Online Creative Residency: Theresa Lee Marcia Wemigwans, Selena Wabegijig, and Quinn Organ. First Nations beading artist and instructor, Theresa Lee Marcia Wemigwans, was born April 8, 1981 in Wikwemikoong, Manitoulin Island. She taught herself beading and loom work at the age of 12 and has been actively participating in community beading groups since, learning tricks and tips from other talented beading artists. Theresa's inspiration comes from the great outdoors and she loves experimenting with a variety of colours and bead cuts to create beautiful custom made Indigenous beadwork. Over the years, Theresa discovered that she was gifted with a special talent and with the belief that beading was healing, she wanted to share her knowledge with others. She now teaches all ages how to bead using various stitches and techniques. Pre-pandemic, Theresa created her own bi-weekly beading group called Art of Healing Circle through N'swakamok Native Friendship Centre in Sudbury, ON, as well as hosted other workshops in her community. Theresa has a strong passion for beading, enjoys sharing her knowledge with others, and watching others create beautiful indigenous beadwork. Selena Wabegijig is a 41 year old Ojibway woman. She lives in Sudbury and has studied, volunteered, and worked throughout northeastern Ontario, learning, healing, and educating about Intergenerational Trauma. Selena knows the value of community for survival, walking together to decolonize ourselves and social systems, while networking and developing our collective capacity to bring transformative change. Selena Wabegijig has worked and volunteered with various organizations in Sudbury, including the Elizabeth Fry Society as a Peer Leader; Better Beginnings, Better Futures’ Community Closet program; and N’Swakmok Native Friendship Centre’s cultural programs and MMIWG events. Selena is currently active with grassroot non-profit, Planet Over Profit. (https://www.facebook.com/popsudbury). Selena Wabegijig is open to collaborations!! Quinn Organ, who always brought joy to our mentor meetings and artist hangouts. Follow this emerging artist on Instagram at @twospirit_and_kindagay Quinn is a Two-Spirit youth from Sudbury, Ontario who uses a variety of mediums in their artwork. Their art represents their struggle with loving themselves in the body they own due to social media and diet culture. They hope that others seeing their art will help others to understand that the media doesn’t define beauty and help others to find self-love. Miigwetch and Marsee to the Ontario Arts Council for supporting this project.
