Assistant Professor, Studio Art
BFA Emily Carr University of Art + Design (Visual Arts)
MFA OCAD University (Criticism and Curatorial Practice)
PhD York University (Social and Political Thought)
Office: MWS 338
smorrissette@brocku.ca
Suzanne Morrissette (she/her) is an artist, curator, and scholar who is currently based out of Toronto. She is guided in this work by her roles as a daughter, partner, mama, sister, niece, aunt, granddaughter, friend, and colleague. Her father’s parents were Michif- and Cree-speaking Metis with family histories tied to the Interlake and Red River regions and Scrip in the area now known as Manitoba. Her mother’s parents came from Canadian-born farming families descended from United Empire loyalists and Mennonites from Russia. Morrissette was born and raised in Winnipeg and is a citizen of the Manitoba Metis Federation. Morrissette holds a PhD from York University in Social and Political Thought. Her forthcoming book But Have We Arrived? is based on this research and argues for the need to evaluate the spaces of inclusion that have been made for Indigenous people within a previously exclusionary centre of artistic representation.
Indigenous art; curation; visual art; Indigenous studies; art history
2019 Practices of Learning, Capilano Review
2018 “On Being Illiberal,” Prefix 38 2018. 18-33.
Nominated for and awarded in the category of Curatorial Writing 2000-5000 words by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries in 2019.
2016 “Routing Towards Reconciliation,” a review of The Land We Are: Artists & Writers Unsettle the Politics of Reconciliation. in TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies No. 36., 2016. 191-95.
2014 “In Residence on Rabbit Island: Reflections on the Politics of Remote Wilderness.” Rabbit Island 2014 Residency Exhibition. (Devos Museum: Marquette, 2014). 47-51.
2013 “Gathering: to come together, to collect,” Surface & Symbol: works by Jean Marshall. Ed. Janna Hiemstra (Ontario Crafts Council: Toronto, 2013). 6-13.
2013 “To Take Notice,” Something About Encounter. Ed. Cheryl L’Hirondelle (Thunder Bay Art Gallery: Thunder Bay, 2013). 13-14.
2013 “Conversation Between Duane Linklater and Suzanne Morrissette.” Something About Encounter. Ed. Cheryl L’Hirondelle (Thunder Bay Art Gallery: Thunder Bay, 2013). 29-41.
2012 “The way I remember it…” The way I remember it… (Thunder Bay Art Gallery: Thunder Bay, 2012). np.
2012 “incomplete thoughts on knowing through place,” in Manitowapow Eds. Niigaanwewidam Sinclair and Warren Cariou (Winnipeg: Highwater Press, 2012). 398-399.
2012 “Concealed Geographies,” (ASpace Gallery: Toronto, 2012). np.
2012 “Setting and Source,” Setting: land. Ed. Richard William Hill (Thunder Bay Art Gallery: Thunder Bay, 2012). 6-13.
2010 “Luke Parnell.” past now (MacLaren Art Centre: Barrie, 2010). np.
Curated:
2018 On Being Illiberal – works by Carl Beam, Merritt Johnson, and Fallon Simard Prefix: Institute of Contemporary Art, Toronto
2015 our land, together – works by Scott Benesiinaabandan, Christian Chapman, and Cheryl L’Hirondelle
Harbourfront Centre with Planet Indigenous, Toronto
2012 – 2015 Setting: land – works by by Kevin Lee Burton, Kaoru Ryan Klatt, Anna Tsouhlarakis, and Kade Twist
Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario
A Frame Gallery, Sioux Lookout, Ontario
Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, Ontario
Grimsby Public Art Gallery, Grimsby, Ontario
Judith and Alix Norman Art Gallery, Sarnia, Ontario
2013 – 2014 Surface and Symbol – works by Jean Marshall, Ontario Crafts Council, Toronto
Definitely Superior Art Gallery, Thunder Bay
2013 Blueprints for a long walk – works by Lisa Myers, Urban Shaman Gallery, Winnipeg
2013 Something About Encounter – works by Duane Linklater, Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay
2012 (co-curator with Julie Nagam): Concealed Geographies – works by KC Adams, Jason Baerg, Merritt Johnson, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Justine McGrath and Nigit’stil Norbert, ASpace Gallery (with imagineNATIVE Film Festival), Toronto
Artist:
2021 Place Settings, a group exhibition curated by Noa Bronstein for the Year of Public Art
2021 Other Worlds, a group exhibition curated by Jessie Short and Amy Malbeuf, Agnes Etherington Gallery, Kingston
2016 – 2018 wnoondwaamin | we hear them, a group exhibition curated by Lisa Myers
Trinity Square Video (with imagiNATIVE Film Festival), Toronto
Whitewater Gallery, North Bay
Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, Brandon
Paved Arts, Saskatoon
Stride Gallery + Calgary Contemporary, Calgary
2020
Grant: Insight Development, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Project: Social Histories / Indigenous Art: Curating Social Work’s Influence on Winnipeg’s Indigenous Art of the 80s and 90s
Role: Principle Investigator
2019
Grant: Small-Scale Projects, Creating, Knowing and Sharing, Canada Council for the Arts
Project: Project funding for a series of drawings called places I have found knowledge
Role: Principle Investigator
2018 – ongoing
Grant: Seed Grant OCAD University
Project: Funding to support the development of the Other Centres Curatorial Lab
Role: Principle Investigator
2016 – 2017
Grant: Provost Dissertation Scholarship, York University
Project: Dissertation “Of This Land, On This Land: Indigenous artists challenging the racial logics of liberal modernity”
Role: Principle Investigator
2015
Grant: Indigenous Arts Projects, Toronto Arts Council
Project: Project funding to complete four video-installations using Max with Kinect.
Role: Lead Artist
2015
Grant: Aboriginal Arts Projects, Ontario Arts Council
Project: Project funding for series of paintings titled score for bottom of a lake
Role: Lead Artist
2014
Grant: Aboriginal Arts Projects, with co-applicant Julie Nagam, Ontario Arts Council
Project: Project funding to support the collaborative exchange residency on Rabbit Island in Michigan
Role: Artist/Collaborator
2014
Grant: Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange, Canada Council for the Arts
Project: Project funding to support the collaborative exchange residency on Rabbit Island in Michigan
Role: Artist/Collaborator
2013 – 2016
Grant: Joseph Armand Bombarier Doctoral Scholarship, Category A
Project: Dissertation “Of This Land, On This Land: Indigenous artists challenging the racial logics of liberal modernity”
Role: Principle Investigator
2013
Grant: Emerging Artists, Ontario Arts Council
Project: Project funding in support of photo-based work.
Role: Lead Artist
2013
Grant: Travel Grants to Aboriginal Collaborative Projects, Canada Council for the Arts
Project: Project funding to take part in a collaborative exchange project with artist Lisa Myers
Role: Collaborating Artist
2011 – 2013
Grant: Assistance to Aboriginal Curators for Residencies in Visual Arts
Project: Support of curatorial development over the years 2011-2013
Role: Guest Curator
2010 – 2011
Grant: Joseph Armand Bombardier Masters Award
Project: Masters Thesis “Stories of Place, Location, and Knowledge”
Role: Principle Investigator