Shelley Niro (born 1954) is a
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte filmmaker and visual artist from
New York and
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
.
["Native Networks: Shelley Niro."]
''Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian''. (retrieved 2 Dec 2010) She is known for her photographs using herself and female family members cast in contemporary positions to challenge the stereotypes and clichés of Native American women.
A multidisciplinary contemporary artist skilled in photography, painting, sculpting, beadwork, multimedia, and independent film, Niro is a member of the Turtle clan of the Kanienkehaka (Mohawk Nation) from Six Nations of the Grand River.
Early life and education
Shelley Niro was born in
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagar ...
and grew up on the
Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, near
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by County of Brant, Brant County but is politically separate wi ...
, Canada.
Niro's home life made it easy for creativity to flourish while entertaining her siblings through songs, storytelling, and picture drawing. Niro's family had a big impact on her work, and would later make appearances in various compositions. Niro's artistic ambitions began with her earning a diploma in performing arts from
Cambrian College
Cambrian College, established in 1967, is a List of Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, college of applied arts and technology in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, partnered with private Hanson College of Business, Health and Techno ...
in
Sudbury, Ontario, in 1972. In 1990, she received an honors fine arts degree in painting and sculpture from
Ontario College of Art.
[ Niro went on to earn a master of fine arts from the ]University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...
in 1997. In 2000, Niro attended the Banff Centre for the Arts to study film.[
]
Art career
Niro explored the oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from
people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...
of the Haudenosaunee
The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
people in general and the diaspora of Mohawk people in particular.["Shelley Niro."]
''Women Make Movies''. (retrieved 2 Dec 2010) She is known for her photography,[Colón, Maria]
''Native American Indigenous Cinema and Arts.'' Spring 2008 (retrieved 2 Dec 2010) which often combines portraits of living Native women with customary Mohawk imagery. She uses herself, friends, and family members as models. Her 1992 photographic series, ''This Land Is Mime Land'' and ''500 Year Itch'' employ humorous pop culture references, such as Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
and Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
. Niro often works in diptychs and triptychs, using photographic processes such as photo montage, hand tints, and sepia tones.
Shelly Niro is often compared to the artist Cindy Sherman because they both cast themselves in different roles in an attempt to break down various stereotypes. Niro, however, never fully disguises herself. "She wants the viewer to recognize her within her manifestations."
As her skills advanced, Niro would feature family members in her art pieces. Her piece ''Time Travels Through Us'' shows her mother and two of her sisters as a way to represent the social, cultural, and personal values passed from generation to generation. The colors purple and silver reference Iroquois aesthetics and culture. A turtle represents Niro's spirit animal, as well as being a reference to the Turtle Clan of which she is a member.[
Most of Niro's work is conceptual, touching on themes of gender imbalance, cultural appropriation, and the importance of cultural influences. She uses the immersion of different mediums to engage her audience with her perspective. In spite of the serious themes such as cultural loss and oppression, some of Niro's pieces have used humor and satire as a form of resistance to convey social misconceptions about her culture while poking fun at outdated stereotypes and ideas.]
In 2023, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers.
The museum has three ...
, New York City, and National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...
, Ottawa venue presented a retrospective
A retrospective (from Latin ', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in software development, popular culture, and the arts. ...
exhibition of Niro's work, ''Shelley Niro:500 Year Itch''. The retrospective included the premiere of her newest film, '' Café Daughter''.
Selected exhibitions
Group exhibitions include:
* 1999: ''Across Borders: Beadwork in Iroquois Life'', McCord Museum, Montreal, Quebec
* 2019: ''Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists'', Minneapolis Institute of Art
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) is an arts museum located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Home to more than 90,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, Mia is one of the List of largest art museums, largest ar ...
, Minneapolis, MN
* ''Radical Stitch'', MacKenzie Art Gallery
The MacKenzie Art Gallery (MAG; ) is an art museum located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The museum occupies the multipurpose T. C. Douglas Building, situated at the edge of the Wascana Centre. The building holds eight galleries totaling to of ...
(2022).
Solo exhibitions:
*''Shelley Niro: 500 Year Itch'' was organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Hamilton with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers.
The museum has three ...
(NMAI), with curatorial support from the National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...
(NGC).
Film and video
* ''It Starts with a Whisper'' (1993), producer, director[
* ''Overweight with Crooked Teeth'' (1997), producer, director
* ''Honey Moccasin'' (1998), director; stars Tantoo Cardinal][
* ''The Shirt'' (2003), director; stars Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie][
* ''The Flying Head'' (2008), director
* ''Kissed by Lightning'' (2009), producer, director
* ''The Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi Bearclaw'' (2019)
* '' Café Daughter'' (2023)][Eden Suh]
"Film: Café Daughter shooting wraps up in Sudbury"
'' Sudbury.com'', May 22, 2022.
Awards and recognition
The National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center is a historical museum in Washington, D.C. It collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and m ...
named Niro a fellow in 1997. She won the Walking in Beauty Award for her 1992 production ''It Starts With a Whisper.'' The film ''Honey Moccasin'' won Best Experimental Work at the Dreamspeakers Festival in Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
, Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
and Best Feature, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Director at the Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
.[ She was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.] Her short film ''The Shirt'' was presented at the 2003 Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...
and the 2004 Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023.
The festival has acted ...
in Park City, UT. Niro was awarded a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2017.
Niro's art has been featured in several exhibitions and museums across Canada and the United States, including the National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers.
The museum has three ...
(NMAI). Her artistic achievements have also earned Niro fellowships and residencies at major educational and cultural institutions, and the honor of being “Guest Selector” for the NMAI's “Native American Film + Video Festival”.
Niro participated in prominent exhibitions at the Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...
. In 2003, Niro was the exhibition artist for the Indigenous Arts Action Alliance (IA3) showcasing her photography work, as well as her short film “The Shirt” which was later screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Niro received two awards for the film “Honey Moccasin” which she directed in 1998. This film won “Best Experimental Work” at the Dreamspeakers Festival in Edmonton, and “Best Feature” at the Red Earth Film Festival in Oklahoma.
In 2009, Niro received the “Milagro Award for Best Indigenous Film” for “Kissed by Lightning” at the Santa Fe Film Festival.
She won the Scotiabank Photography Award in 2017. In 2020, she was awarded the Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award for Art Photography for outstanding achievement in the field of photography.
In 2020, Niro received the Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award.
Quotations
"Some people think that to be Indian, you have to do certain things, but I'm saying that you're Indian no matter what you do, but you have to decide what you want to do and you have to ask questions, like, am I doing something because it's expected of me to do, or am I doing it because I really believe this and it's really a part of me. So I'm always questioning that, saying, "Am I being truthful to myself? How much a part of what I do is part of my psychology?" —Shelley Niro
Personal life
Niro currently resides in Brantford
Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully indep ...
, Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, with her husband.
Notes
References
* Ryan, Allan J. ''The Trickster Shift: Humour and Irony in Contemporary Native Art.'' Victoria: University of British Columbia Press, 1999. .
*
Further reading
*
External links
Official website
by Larry Abbott
*
Shelley Niro
Vision Project, by Ryan Rice
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niro, Shelley
Living people
1954 births
Canadian Mohawk women artists
First Nations painters
First Nations photographers
First Nations filmmakers
People from Niagara Falls, New York
People from the County of Brant
University of Western Ontario alumni
Canadian women painters
Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
21st-century Canadian women artists
Native American women painters
Native American painters
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte people
21st-century American women
Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners
Canadian women film directors
Film directors from Ontario
Native American women photographers
Turtle Clan of the Iroquois