Me Artsy

While First Nations cultural practice still honours traditional forms, contemporary indigenous artists have diversified into many areas. The fourteen contributors whose essays make up Me Artsypursue such varied disciplines as filmmaking, gourmet cuisine, blues piano, fashion design, acting, writing and painting as well as traditional drumming and storytelling. Their concerns include the eternal ones that occupy artists everywhere—how to get started, where to find inspiration and how to make a
living. What makes Me Artsy special is that these concerns are always overlaid with an awareness of First Nations identity.

The essays explore many common themes around the role of art in First Nations communities, including the importance of art for creating social change, the role of art in representing Native culture and the fusion of traditional and contemporary techniques. On a more personal level, the essays describe the significance of art in the lives of the contributors, along with their sometimes unlikely journeys to success—stories that are often touched with humour and humility.

With essays by Zacharias Kunuk, Monique Mojica, Marianne Nicolson, Maxine Noel, Kim Picard, Murray Porter, Karyn Recollet, Santee Smith, Rose Stella, Drew Hayden Taylor, Steve Teekens, Richard Van Camp, David Wolfman and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas