Artist - Frank Polson
"Frank Polson is an Algonquin Traditional Artist, member of the Long Point First Nation in Winneway, Québec. As a painter and sculptor, he found his original inspiration in the colourful and symbolic Woodland Art movement. As a true Ashinabe artist, Frank produces works of a unique beauty, relevant to today and in accordance with his heritage."
Current exhibitions:
Ashukan Cultural Space, 431 Place Jacques-Cartier, Montreal, QC
K Bros Maroosis Art Center, 232 Algonquin Ave. North Bay, ON
Galerie du Château Frontenac in Old Quebec, QC
One-off exhibitions:
2017 - 2018 Tour of the traveling exhibition The 7 Grandfathers and Recent Works by Frank Polson: Cobalt Theater Mezzanine, Native American House at Mont St-Hilaire, Center d'Art Rotary de LaSarre, Center d'Exposition d'Amos, WKP Kennedy Gallery in North Bay, and Galerie du Rift in Ville-Marie.
June-August 2017 The 7 Grandfathers and Retrospective of Frank Polson, Val D’Or QC Exhibition Center
November 2016 - January 2017 Oh Canada ?, collective jury exhibition at Gallery 6500, Sudbury ON
June-September 2015 Dialogue 2, exhibition in parallel with the event at the Rouyn-Noranda Exhibition Center, QC and work "Fall Bucks" used for their poster.
June-September 2015 Exhibition at the Musée de la Gare in Témiscaming, QC
April-June 2014 Dialogue: Group exhibition of aboriginal artists from Abitibi-Témiscamingue at L’Écart, Place of Current Art, Rouyn-Noranda, QC - Curator Jean-Jacques Lachapelle
March-April 2011 Native Art Exhibition at the K Bros Maroosis Art Center gallery, NorthBay, Ontario
Several solo and group exhibitions in commercial galleries across Ontario from 1997 to 2011:
2000, 1999, 1998 - Simcoe Gallery Toronto, ON; 1999 - Serpent River Post in Cutle; Laparete Gallery in Toronto, ON; 1998 - Kat's Gallery at Jackson Point; Bare Naked Ladies and Art Works International in Toronto; Rothwell Gallery in Ottawa; Art Effects in Sudbury; Ten Mill Point Native Crafts & Gallery in Shequiandah and Whetung Ojibway Gallery in Curve Lake, all in Ontario, in addition to Northern Intruders Gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba; 1997 - Renaissance 11 Art Gallery in Deseronto and Ducks Unlimited Canada in Sudbury, ON
Artistic events
June 2013-14-15-16-17-18 Rendez-Vous des Arts Métissés at the Ashukan Cultural Space, Montreal QC
August 2014 and 2015 MAMU "Ensemble" Painting Symposium at the Shaputuan Museum in Sept-Îles, QC (elected honorary president by his peers for the 2015 Edition)
October 2013 Artist invited to the Salon des Artistes et Artisans du Témiscamingue to paint live during the annual event held at the Community Center in Lorrainville, QC
December 2012 Official opening of the 11 Nations Cultural Space at the Bonsecours Market in Old Montreal, QC
Artistic projects
2018 Creation of 8 sets of engraved wooden tables, chairs and benches, Amo Ososwan School of Winneway
2017 Creation of 13 designs for the new coin collection Les 13 Grands-Mères Lunes of the Royal Canadian Mint, on sale in 2018
Design of a monument in memory of native officers who died in service, Quebec National Police School in Nicolet
Summer 2016 Fresco paintings on the four pillars of the bridge at the entrance to Latulipe in Témiscamingue
January 2016 Publication of the Anishnabe Art Coloring Book with original drawings and texts signed by Danielle Desjardins (around 3,000 copies sold so far)
Summer 2015 Sculpture of 2 30 "totem poles and painting of a 100" diameter sacred dance circle in the Eagle Village First Nation community in Kipawa QC
2014 Raven, work selected by Tourisme Abitibi-Témiscamingue. As part of Culturat, a giant reproduction now adorns the facade of the building on rue Dallaire in Rouyn-Noranda, QC. 2014 Creation of a collective work painted on the tee-pee of Long Point First Nation Health Center in Winneway, QC and video of the process
2012-2013 Amo Ososwan School Evaluation - eleven minute video on the entire evaluation process led by consultant Roger Spielman during the school year, Winneway, QC
2012 Native Friendship Center of Val d´Or, QC: Collective work (4 ’x 8’) carried out with adults participating in a center project (one month to 2 days a week)
2010 Frank's Journey - Voyage de Frank, documentary directed by Marc-André Pauzé, photojournalist, on my life journey
2010 Full Circle Recovery, 12-minute autobiographical video, produced by Wapikoni Mobile - my first work with this media
Since my training with Wapikoni Mobile, I have produced numerous videos retracing the key moments of school and community events, all available on Youtube. All of these works will be deposited as a bequest in the archives of the new school in our community.
Since 2011, Canada Art Prints of Winnipeg, Manitoba has been producing greeting cards from some of my artwork.
School projects with the participation of students
2018-2019 Several Anicenabe art workshops in schools and Native friendship centers
2017 Amik-Wiche high school in Lac-Simon, QC: mural 8 "high x 16" wide (2 weeks)
2014 Amo Ososwan School in Winneway, QC: Visual arts and painting workshops Anicenabe - Individual projects in elementary school and group projects in high school (3 months to 3 days a week)
2014 TDSS High School in New Liskeard in Ontario: Introduction to traditional Aboriginal art and presentation of my journey in the form of a lecture
2013 Amo Ososwan School in Winneway, QC: Introduction to traditional Aboriginal art (3 months x 3 days / week)
2006 Mahigan School in Pikogan, QC: realization of an 8 "x 16" mural (3 weeks)
2006 Polyvalente de la Forêt d'Amos, QC: creation of an 8 "x 16" mural (3 weeks
Collections
Various private collections in Quebec and Ontario
Teaching work selected as part of the 2012-2013 Native Art Center Acquisition Program for the National Native Art Collection of Native Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Book covers
2001 Aboriginal Education: Fulfilling the Promise, by Marlene Brant Castellano, Lynne Davis and Louise Lahache, UBC Press, Vancouver, BC
2001 "You’re So Fat!" : Exploring Ojibwe Discourse, by Roger Spielman, University Press, Toronto, ON
1998 Unfinished Dreams: Community Healing and the Reality of Aboriginal Self-Government, by Wayne Wary, McMaster University Press, Hamilton, ON
Company logos and posters
2017 Work chosen for the official poster of the 37th International Film Festival in Abitibi-Témiscamingue
2014 Wolf Lake First Nation, Témiscaming, QC
2014 Temiskaming First Nation, Notre-Dame-du-Nord, QC
2014 Transformation: Work selected for the poster of the World Uranium Symposium
Artistic training
Mainly self-taught
Visual Arts Course - South Porcupine Northern College in 1985; Cambrian College in Sudbury in 1989; White Mountain Academy of the Arts at Elliot Lake in 1999