| ARTIST BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: | A disruptive artist in multiple disciplines, Adrian A. Stimson wields paintings, theatre, installations, collodion wet plate photography, sculpture, curation, education, and activism to resurrect First Nations histories. He’s known best for his “tar and feathers” paintings and his provocative performances at Burning Man Festival in Nevada.
Born in 1964 in Sault Ste. Marie to Siksika and Irish parents, Stimson attended a residential school as a day student until grade four, until his family finally settled in Alberta’s Siksika Nation. He earned his BFA with Distinction from the Alberta College of Art + Design when he was 39 and his MFA at the University of Saskatchewan (2005), where he later taught.
After eight years as Tribal Councillor for the Siksika Nation and a term as President of the First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centers in Ottawa, Stimson sought refuge in art creation. His career soared with acclaimed exhibitions such as Buffalo Boy’s Heart On and Buffalo Particles, and Burning Man performances of his Buffalo Boy alter-ego mixture of priest, powwow dancer, shaman, and gay cowboy.
Stimson’s work frequently employs bison—central to Siksika culture—to discuss Indigenous histories and inspire many of his paintings and his Buffalo Boy trickster performance. His “Old Sun” installation examines residential schools, which his father attended, and includes his own memories of their many miseries. His “Transformation” exhibition explores the national tragedy of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
At the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Stimson taught contemporary art and led tutorials in Women and Gender Studies. As the 2006 artist in residence at the Mendel Art Gallery, he developed the “Living Artfully” community-building program connecting Indigenous knowledge and eco-art. He holds the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2003), the Alberta Centennial Medal for human rights and diversity activism, and the Blackfoot Visual Arts Award (2009). Numerous public and private collections house his work, including Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. |