| ARTIST BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: | Well-known aboriginal artist, Kimowan Metchewais (Kim McLain) was born in Oxbow, Saskatchewan on October 2, 1963. In his youth, his artist skills gained him attention and as a young man he studied at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary. Metchewais worked for “Windspeaker”, Canada's National Aboriginal Magazine for many years, as a cartoonist, a writer, an advertiser, as well as, a production editor. His cartoon’s commented on government, the environment, and political concerns; his works evoked outrage as well as respect. Metchewais received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alberta, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received the accolade of second place in the Asum Mena Art Festival in 1984, 1985, and 1986; and in 1987 he won first place. He also won a National Award from the Canadian Aboriginal Arts Foundation. Metchewais created work using a plethora of mediums, including: ink, pastel, pencil, watercolour, and acrylic. Later in his career, Metchewais incorporated the use of photographs into his work. His eclectic collection is comprised of pieces of work that are hauntingly beautiful, because of colour choices and fluidity of the work. Metchewais became an Associate Professor of Art at the University of North Carolina in 2010. His works have been exhibited in galleries across the United States and Canada. Metchewais experienced his first bout of cancer at the age of 29, and he passed away on July 29, 2011, after a final courageous battle with this disease. Collections of his work are primarily found at the Alberta Indian Arts and Crafts Society, Peace Hill Trust, the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, and the Weatherspoon Museum of Art in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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