Announcing the recipient of the DARC Indigenous Residency
October 8, 2024
Dear artists and supporters,
The Hnatyshyn Foundation is proud to announce that Oo Kierstead has been selected to attend the inaugural DARC Indigenous Residency. This exciting new program by the Digital Arts Resource Centre (DARC), which we are thrilled to support, is a one-month intensive on-site artist residency. It is offered to a mid-career Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) artist in the Ottawa-Gatineau region who is seeking to develop their current practice, experiment with a new medium, or continue an existing project.
About Oo Kierstead
Oo Kierstead is a dynamic leader in media, project management, and cultural advocacy, with a deep commitment to preserving Inuit language and culture. Fluent in both Inuktitut and English, Kierstead has made a significant impact across various fields. As the founder of Oo K Couture in 2021, Kierstead transformed her passion for Inuit-inspired sustainable fashion and has showcased her creations at markets and craft sales across Nunavut and Canada.
Kierstead specializes in Inuktitut productions, contributing as a reporter, producer, and editor for various media outlets. In a leadership role, she has spearheaded the development of critical communication strategies and policies, enhancing organizational messaging and outreach.
Kierstead’s educational background includes studies in applied arts, technology, media, and design. Through innovative media, design, and community-driven initiatives, she remains dedicated to promoting and preserving Inuit heritage for future generations.
Residency outcomes
During the residency, taking place throughout October, Kierstead is working on Inuit Hand Stand, an animation and digital media project that includes recording audio of throat singing and digital gif creation.
The Residency involves working with an Indigenous art consultant and Kierstead has chosen to work with Geronimo Inutiq, a musician, filmmaker, cultural worker and media artist who also happens to be a laureate of our REVEAL Indigenous Art Awards (2017)!
In November, DARC will host a screening of Inuit Hand Stand and artist talk. Stay tuned for the date and time!
Jury
Kierstead was selected from a pool of applicants by Sonya Ballantyne, Liz Barron, and Howard Adler.
Sonya Ballantyne is a Swampy Cree writer and filmmaker from the Misipawistik Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba. Her work focuses on contemporary and futuristic portrayals of Indigenous women and girls. Her past work includes The Walking Dead: The Last MILE, Sesame Street, and God of War: Ragnarok. The Death Tour is her feature directorial debut.
Liz Barron is a founding member of Harbour Collective. Working within the Indigenous media and visual arts, Harbour Collective engages in research activities, artistic programming and service delivery for Indigenous filmmakers, media artists and visual artists. Harbour Collective has hosted four LAB series and is currently working on Indigenous artist rights working in artificial intelligence, along with commissioning five Indigenous artists to create augmented reality stories based on their traditional moon stories with a launch in Vienna in November 2024.
Barron started her cultural career at Plug In ICA as their digital producer. During her time with Plug IN ICA, she met Louise Ogemah and Debra Prince who invited her to join them to create Urban Shaman, a contemporary Indigenous artist run centre, in Winnipeg.
Barron’s connection to place is the homeland of the Metis. Her mother is from St. Francois Xavier, Manitoba and her father is from St. Francois Xavier/Pigeon Lake, Manitoba. Her maternal grandparents are from St. Charles, Manitoba (Peltier / Pelletier) and Harperville, Manitoba (Miller). Her paternal grandparents are from St. Francois Xavier (Barron / Chalifoux). The Chalifoux were identified as Cree on the Canadian Census and claimed scrip.
Barron is a member of the Manitoba Metis Federation and a member of the Catfish Local, Winnipeg.
Howard Adler is the co-founder, director and programmer for the Asinabka Festival, an annual Indigenous film and media arts festival in Ottawa. Howard has a bachelor of arts in Indigenous Studies from Trent University and a master of arts in Canadian Studies from Carleton University. Howard’s films, video and art have been exhibited in gallery settings, broadcast nationally, shown on airplanes, featured on CBC Gem, and shown extensively at film festivals both in Canada and internationally. His practice is diverse and includes visual art, meme-making, stained glass, beadwork, VJ’ing, video projection mapping, and experimental and documentary filmmaking. He often works as a freelancer or on a contract basis in various capacities, including film and video production, as a university instructor, a guest speaker, a workshop instructor, or leading art making classes for youth. Howard’s pronouns are he/him, he is 2-Spirit, Jewish and Anishinaabe, and a member of Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation in North-Western Ontario.
Miigwech and thank you to our talented jurors for supporting us in selecting the recipient of the DARC Indigenous Residency. We can’t wait to see Inuit Hand Stand come to life!
