Christi Belcourt
Encyclopedia
Christi Marlene Belcourt (born September 24, 1966) is a Métis
visual artist and author living and working in Canada
. She is best known for her acrylic paintings which depict floral patterns inspired by Métis and First Nations historical beadwork art. Belcourt is recognized within the Métis community as one of the preeminent Métis artists in Canada.
and Judith Pierce-Martin (née Streatch). Her brother Shane Anthony Belcourt is a writer, director, musician and cinematographer known for his feature film Tkaronto, which depicts the life of urban Métis and First Nations people. Her sister Suzanne Belcourt is a graphic designer and artist living and working in southern Ontario. In 1970, her father was elected as the founding President of the Native Council of Canada (now known as the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
) and the family relocated permanently to Ottawa, Ontario from Edmonton, Alberta.
As a Métis
visual artist with a deep respect for the traditions and knowledge of her people, the majority of her work explores and celebrates the beauty of the natural world. She is the author of three books: Medicines To Help Us (study prints & book, based on painting of same title; Saskatoon: Gabriel Dumont Institute
, 2007), Jeremy and the Magic Ball (the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres) and Beadwork (Ningwakwe Learning Press). Her work has been commissioned by the Gabriel Dumont Institute (Saskatoon, 2004), the Nature Conservancy of Canada
and the Centre for Traditional Knowledge & Museum of Nature (Ottawa, 2002), and is found in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada
, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery
and the Canadian Museum of Civilization
, First People’s Hall. Christi is a past recipient of awards from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Métis Nation of Ontario. She has been studying traditional plants (identification of, stories of, medicinal uses for, names in Michif and Cree
) for numerous years. She lives and works in Espanola, Ontario, Canada.
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
visual artist and author living and working in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She is best known for her acrylic paintings which depict floral patterns inspired by Métis and First Nations historical beadwork art. Belcourt is recognized within the Métis community as one of the preeminent Métis artists in Canada.
Biography
Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Christi Belcourt is the daughter of national Métis rights activist Tony BelcourtTony Belcourt
Tony Belcourt is a Métis Rights leader and activist in Canada. He is best known for his work as the founding President of the Métis Nation of Ontario in 1993 and his leaderhship through the Powley Case in 2003...
and Judith Pierce-Martin (née Streatch). Her brother Shane Anthony Belcourt is a writer, director, musician and cinematographer known for his feature film Tkaronto, which depicts the life of urban Métis and First Nations people. Her sister Suzanne Belcourt is a graphic designer and artist living and working in southern Ontario. In 1970, her father was elected as the founding President of the Native Council of Canada (now known as the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples founded in 1971 as the Native Council of Canada, is a Canadian aboriginal organization, that represents Aboriginal Peoples who live off Indian reserves, either in urban and rural areas across Canada.Each CAP affiliate has its own constitution and is separately...
) and the family relocated permanently to Ottawa, Ontario from Edmonton, Alberta.
As a Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
visual artist with a deep respect for the traditions and knowledge of her people, the majority of her work explores and celebrates the beauty of the natural world. She is the author of three books: Medicines To Help Us (study prints & book, based on painting of same title; Saskatoon: Gabriel Dumont Institute
Gabriel Dumont Institute
The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research is a post-secondary educational institution in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is administered by and services the Métis population of Saskatchewan...
, 2007), Jeremy and the Magic Ball (the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres) and Beadwork (Ningwakwe Learning Press). Her work has been commissioned by the Gabriel Dumont Institute (Saskatoon, 2004), the Nature Conservancy of Canada
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Nature Conservancy of Canada is a Canadian private not-for-profit charitable environmental organisation established in 1962. The NCC works to achieve the direct protection of what they deem as Canada's most important natural treasures through property securement and long-term stewardship of...
and the Centre for Traditional Knowledge & Museum of Nature (Ottawa, 2002), and is found in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery
Thunder Bay Art Gallery
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is Northwestern Ontario's primary art gallery specializing in the work of contemporary First Nations artists. It is located on the campus of Confederation College in Thunder Bay....
and the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
, First People’s Hall. Christi is a past recipient of awards from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Métis Nation of Ontario. She has been studying traditional plants (identification of, stories of, medicinal uses for, names in Michif and Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
) for numerous years. She lives and works in Espanola, Ontario, Canada.