Chataya Holy
Singer
Phone number: 403 - 795 - 4021
Email address: c.holysinger@uleth.ca
Education:
BA Fine Arts – Native American Art Studio Sept 2016 – April 2022
University of Lethbridge
●
GPA 3.3/4
Catholic Central High School – High School Degree Sept 2013 – May 2016
●
Art 10-20-30 Courses Completed
Scholarships:
Indspire Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries,
Scholarships, Awards Scholarship May 2020
· Valued at $1000
Indigenous Careers Award Scholarship for
Academic Excellence Dec 2019 – Apr 2020
·
Valued at
$4000 split between both Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters within an academic
standing of a minimum of 3.00 GPA for $2000 each.
Duke and Duchess Cambridge Scholarship
for Academic Excellence November 2019
·
Valued at
$2000
Isabella Ann Frank and George Russell
Scholarship May 2019
·
Valued at
$1000
University Scholarship Award for Excellence
in Academic Achievement Oct 2017 –
Feb 2018
·
Valued at
$1500 split between both Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters for $750 each
Indspire Building Brighter Futures:
Bursaries, Scholarships, Awards Scholarship Mar 2017
·
Valued at
$2500
Awards and Honorariums:
Received Art Award for Reconciliation
Art Contest November 2020
·
Valued at
$200 for achieving second place
Annual Art Student Open House Awards
2020
April 2020
·
Valued at
$100 for Excellence in Indigenous Art Studio/Museum Studies Award
Honoraria received from City of
Lethbridge for Reconciliation T-shirt Design Sept 2019/2020
·
Valued at $150
(2019) and $300 (2020)
Art Award received from Whoop-Up Days Exhibition
Decoration Contest 2019 August 2019
·
Valued at under
Community Service category
Work Experience:
Gallery Program Assistant Feb 2020 - Current
University of Lethbridge Art Gallery
·
Participated
in the planning and preparation for the Blackfoot Digital Library website
launch for research project Mootookakio’ssin
·
Involved in
the research team for the Mootookakio’ssin project as a Beading Coordinator
·
Facilitated
and coordinating painting and beading workshops for the U of L Art Gallery for
both 2020/2021 Indigenous Awareness Week
·
Created individual
beading projects demonstrating beading and sewing skills
Infographic Designer March
2021
Building Brains Together, Neuroscience
Department – University of Lethbridge
·
Designed 7
Blackfoot game templates for the Building Brains Together website
·
Referred the
organization to community advocates creating connections to future partnerships
in collaboration to various community networks
Artist Assistant Nov
2019
Southern Alberta Art Gallery
·
Assisted
and documented work for Blackfoot artist Faye Heavyshield’s ‘Clan’ Exhibition
Client Service Assistant
Saamis Aboriginal Employment and
Training Association
·
Organized
and coordinated Saamis Family Photo Booth held at Elders Tea Event in
partnership with Interfaith Food Bank Agency for Indigenous Awareness Week
·
Youngest
member involved with the City of Lethbridge Committee
·
Created
poster for Indigenous Arts and Entrepreneur Program designed for Saamis
·
Achieved
opportunity to help design the 2019 Truth and Reconciliation t-shirt logo
Exhibit History:
Open House in Miniature – Advanced/Senior Studio Collaboration Project March 2021
Niche Gallery, University of Lethbridge Art Department
·
Saaam
(Medicine), string beads on leather,
sinew and thread, medicinal herbs, 4” x 25” (including rope) 6” (just the pouch),
2021
·
Work documentation
published in The Meliorist
·
This piece highlights
the importance of natural medicines traditionally used in Blackfoot culture
·
Promotes awareness of
Aboriginal health
·
A reflection of self-identity,
spirituality, health, and traditional knowledge
Durational Archive/Mapping Exhibition – Photo-Arts III Course Dec 2020 – Mar 2021
Niche Gallery, University of Lethbridge Art
Department
·
Matriarch
– Ninsstsiksi, digital photography
printed on matte photopaper, ink pen
·
This work was to represent
post-card art, in the form of what translates a durational archive for the artist
to interpret
·
I wrote on the back
of the picture of what a durational archive means to me, as a Blackfoot female
artist
·
I represent the
empowerment of Blackfoot women, and the importance that matriarchal bloodlines
are for myself, my family and the women who are involved in my life which are
my older sisters, who I look up to for inspiration.
·
I also speak on the
archival collection of historical photos taken of my ancestors – recreating these
photos through a contemporary form with traditional concepts.
YQL Expressions of Reconciliation – Reconciliation Art Contest Nov 2020
CASA Performing Arts Center, Lethbridge Alberta
·
Blackfoot
Paradigm, ink pen on paper, 8”
x 10”, 2020
·
Submitted orange t-shirt
design for Reconciliation Art Contest
·
Won second place achieving
awards and work installed in the gallery space
·
A piece reflecting on
the 2020’s year theme for Natural Plants and Medicines as declared by the UN
General Assembly
·
This design
represents Blackfoot identity, spirituality, storytelling, cosmology and plants
with the use of Blackfoot symbology
Landmarks 2019 - The
Galt Museum and Archives May 1, 2019 - May 11, 2019
University
of Lethbridge, Fort Whoop-Up, Lethbridge, AB
● Sacred/Secret Stones -
performance, digital new media, photography, video in collaboration with Laween
Jackson TwoBears and Migueltzinta Solis
● Work
inspired by previous site specific project integrating land, spirit, lineage
and Blackfoot identity
● Ideas
enframed by Indigenous ways of knowing, being, sharing, learning, and creating
● Works
in response to three months of meeting with Blackfoot knowledge keepers and
contemporary artists from the community
Stories for the Collection – Group Exhibit March 21, 2019 - June 6, 2019
Hess Gallery, University of Lethbridge, AB
● Featuring
work from Indigenous Art Studio students responding to selection from the
Marmie Hess art collection
● Yaapittaahsohkohto’ - to
honor with a song in public. Performance, installation, mural, estimate 6’ x 6’
● A
piece about Blackfoot identity, renewal, and gratitude in response to Jackson
Beardy’s Solitude print
Curational
Experience:
Open House in Miniature - Niche Gallery March
2021
University of Lethbridge Art Department
·
Assisted
and helped curate works in preparation for the Senior/Advanced Studio
collaboration project
Lectures:
Situated
Practice - Senior/Advanced Studio – Art 3040-B March
2021
University
of Lethbridge, AB
·
Presented works based on my practice
·
Discussed three artists who inspired my work
·
Presented previous artworks and current artworks
in relation to my practice throughout the Spring 2021 semester
Native
American Studies - Art Studio 2350/3350 Portfolio January
2019 - April 2019
University
of Lethbridge, AB
●
Presented projects from previous NAS Art Studio
2350 course during Fall 2018 semester
●
Discussed the processes, challenges, and
ideologies pertaining to each project
●
The presentation was to give recent 2350
students an idea of my experiences of the course during the Fall semester from
the perspective of a now 3350 student
●
Presented the portfolio again at the end of
semester completing the portfolio involving my NAS Art Studio 3350 year
●
Displayed my process pertaining to the Stories for the Collection exhibition
project
Landmarks 2019 Presentation
University of Lethbridge, Fort Whoop-Up
Lethbridge, AB January 2019
●
Discussed the history of the area surrounding
historical site Fort Whoop-Up
●
Emphasized the archeological evidence of the
last historical battle surrounding what is now known as Indian Battle Park
●
Presented images from the book The Last Great (Intertribal) Indian Battle
by Stewart, R. Carlton, Lethbridge Historical Society, published in 1997 as
main source.
●
Reiterated Medicine Rock story as a historical
Landmark provided by archeological evidence and stories of its existence
Bridging
Cultures: Artistic Cultures
IDST 0520 - Bridging Cultures: Two-Eyed Seeing February 2017
University of Lethbridge
●
Presented previous artwork completed throughout
high school
●
Connected art and culture into one point through
an academic lens
●
Articulated the interconnection between art and
culture through a Blackfoot perspective
Projects:
Sacred/Secret
Stones NAS 2350
University of Lethbridge, AB Oct 2018 - Nov 2018
site-specific photography project, curation,
performance and video
●
Blackfoot relations to stones
●
Pertains to identity and lineage
●
Seeks to recognize archeological evidence of
Blackfoot existence
Photo-Arts I Projects, 35mm film photography Sept 2018 - Nov 2018
University of Lethbridge, AB
●
Gained knowledge of the history of film
photography
●
Understood the skills of scrapbooking
●
Gained experience of creating camera obscura and
handling 35mm film camera
●
Understood process of film photography by
experience in the photo-lab
●
WHMIS Fall 2018 Certified Safe Handling of
Chemicals in the classroom/lab
House
of Cards, museum board, acrylic, Guerilla glue, crazy glue September
2018
NAS 2350 - Identity Postcards, University of
Lethbridge, AB
●
Inspired by maquette prototype, postcards with
animal (wolves, moose, cougar) artwork, envelopes, scotch tape
●
Created original designs, artworks on each
visible side
Art 3010 - Drawing Principles and Practices Jan - April 2018
●
Practiced drawing exercises critiquing skills
●
Learned different techniques for sketching
realism/portraiture
●
Experimented with various mediums
●
Studied the human body and perspective
Art 2031 - Foundation Studio (Drawing and Image)
Sept
2017 - Dec 2017
●
Practiced basic drawing techniques
●
Experimented with different mediums of pigments
and paper
●
Created different projects pertaining to drawing
skill-set
Art 2031 - Foundation Studio (Objects and Space)
Sept
2017 - Dec 2017
●
Completed basic workshop training and hands-on
experience in woodshop
●
Worked with power tools and equipment for
projects
●
Worked with various materials for sculpture
building
Volunteer:
Indigenous
Art Club February 23 – March 30, 2019
Lethbridge
Public Library
● Art
workshops facilitated by Mark Brave Rock
● Works
inspired to create, and collaborate on ideas to find one’s own style in art
● Ideas
behind workshop is to create a space for locals to discover their inner artist
and express their creative identity
Glenbow Museum Workshop Project
Calgary,
AB April 2018
●
Participated in an artist’s flag
banner making project
●
Inspiration based on an educational
archive pertaining to Blackfoot history
●
Collaborative process involving
Aboriginal youth
Youth Mentor for FNMI
Lethbridge,
AB Feb 2017 – April 2017
●
Facilitated mini tipi workshop with
Aboriginal youth
●
Provided artist mentorship
expressing their identity/creativity
●
Assisted with artist’s rock painting
project through a collaborative process involving Aboriginal youth
Opokaa'sin Early Intervention - Daycare Assistant
Lethbridge,
AB September
2015
●
assisted with daily classroom responsibilities
● participated
in artistic activities with children
● gained
experience with the kids
High School Experience
Art 30: Open Studio Project Treasure Box December 2015
acrylic on wood, nails, sentimental objects
Art 30: Political Project Television = Lies November 2015
spray paint, acrylic on plywood, estimate 6’x2’
Art 30: Self Portrait Reflections of the Past October 2015
pencil, charcoal, oil pastel on paper
Art 20: Object Realism Sketch: Drawing
Sentimental Objects December 2014
pencil, pencil crayon on paper
Art 20: Diptych Project Yes Female Skateboarders Exist November 2014
acrylic skateboard parts [trucks, wheels] bolted
on acrylic plywood [first piece] acrylic, spray paint on skateboard deck
[second piece]
Art 20: Printmaking Project October 2014
printing ink onto carved vinyl grey card
material on various paper material
Art 10: Final Painting Project: Abstract Style Psychedelic Eye October 2013
gesso, acrylic on hand-built canvas, prox 14’’x
10’’
gouache technique, slug
skin technique, watercolor technique
Art 10: Charcoal Erasure Project Eagle Feather September 2013
charcoal on hand-written grid paper, erasure as
pencil
