Idle No More – Ottawa March/Rally
Red Works’ coverage of the “Idle No More” March from Victoria Island to the Rally at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, December 21, 2012. For more information about the #IdleNoMore Movement, please visit: www.idlenomore.com Image requests can be sent using the Comments section at the end of this post. March from Victoria Island
22 Dec 2012 in Events, Features, by
Feature: CBC 8th Fire
8th Fire is a highly anticipated documentary series on CBC TV, Radio & CBC.ca premiering next month. RWS founder & photographer Nadya Kwandibens is featured in Episode 2 “It’s Time” which airs January 19 & 20, 2012: “Nadya Kwandibens is Anishinaabe and French from the Northwest Angle #37 First Nation in Ontario. She is based in Toronto and much of her work explores the identity of urban Aboriginal people as illustrated in her popular Concrete Indians photography series…” [ read more ] www: cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire Facebook: 8thfire Twitter: #8thfirecbc YouTube: CBC Doc Zone: 8th Fire – Preview [ Photo: A video still from Episode 2 “It’s Time” ]
Prints: Native Pride
Greetings RWS Friends & Fans! It has been a while since the last update; the year has definitely flown by with a lot of travelling, photo-shoots, event coverage and concert photography! A major portfolio update is in the works. But in the meantime here is a collection of prints I’ve put together called “NATIVE PRIDE” just in time for the Christmas holiday season. Click the images to visit and order prints!
05 Dec 2011 in News + Updates, Photo Series, by
Feature: CTV First Story
Boozhoo/ Greetings RWS Friends & Fans! Something exciting came in the mail this past week from the fine folks at CTV BC – a DVD copy of the CTV First Story episode Nadya was featured in. Footage in the episode, which was broadcast nationally February 20th, was shot during two visits to Vancouver BC during Nadya’s last Summer/ Fall Tour, then during the 2011 Talking Stick Festival. The episode is also archived online on the CTV website: Watch: CTV First Story Episode Title: “Gateway & Drew Hayden Taylor” Feature Runtime: 6:00 mins Starts @ 17:00 mins Now in its 13th season, CTV First Story features the best stories in art, culture, and people making a difference in Aboriginal Canada. First Story is a proud Winner of two National and Provincial RTNDA Adrienne Clarkson Diversity awards. For more episodes, visit: www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/firststory
03 Apr 2011 in Features, Interviews, by
Vancouver BC: Talking Stick Festival
RWS is pleased to be returning to Vancouver BC! RWS photographer Nadya K., has been invited to exhibit a selection of images in the 10th Annual Talking Stick Festival, presented by Full Circle: First Nations Performance. In celebration of their 10th year, the 2011 festival will play its opening week (February 1 – February 6) at the Roundhouse before moving into the Commercial Drive area of East Vancouver (until February 13) and will feature diverse programming, highlighting the talents of local, national and international artists in a fusion of cabaret, music, dance, theatre and storytelling. Visit www.fullcircleperformance.ca for festival details, scheduling and tickets! Photo-Sessions Nadya will also be scheduling photo-sessions throughout the run of the festival.  For details email: booking@redworks.ca. Here are the types of sessions available for booking: Portrait + Promotional Headshots Documentary Product Architectural/ Location Vancouver BC is the first stop during two tours this year. For updates/ announcements re: RWS Tours, and to find out if your city is on the list, please sign up to the RWS Mailing List/ Newsletter. To request your city, please visit the 2011 Tour page.
23 Jan 2011 in Events, Exhibits, News + Updates, by
Video ★ CBC TV: Urban Aboriginals
Last week, Nadya met with some CBC TV crew for an interview about what it means to be Native and living in a city, such as Toronto. The series of vignettes features urban Aboriginals from across Canada, and originally aired on Tuesday’s episode of Connect with Mark Kelley, April 6th. Watch: Aboriginal Life in the City Runtime: 3:06 mins The features, including some coverage on The National, were launched with the Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study; “researchers interviewed 2,614 status and non-status First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in 11 cities across Canada: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Ont., Montreal, Toronto, Halifax and Ottawa (Inuit only), between March and October 2009. The study was launched to examine “the attitudes of native Canadians who call the city home.” For more information about the Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study, visit: www.cbc.ca
Concrete Indians 2010 ★ Portrait Submissions
Since its first inception in May 2008, the response to this series has been overwhelming; Native people from across Turtle Island have been submitting their ideas regarding what it means to be urbanized and how living in urban centers either strengthens or weakens (or both) ones own cultural identity. The concept is “Urban Indian” and “Native Identity”. Rather than the photographer be the source of ideas through which the concept is explored, YOU share what it means to you by submitting a ► photo idea. The series is cinematic, all images are converted to large-scale black & white portraits, and will also be launched as a travelling exhibit visiting reservations/ reserves, and cities throughout Canada and U.S.A. See more “Concrete Indians” ————————————————————-★ BE A CONCRETE INDIAN ★————————————————————- To take part in the 2010 photo-session tour, send the following information along w/ a CONCRETE IDEA, to via either our contact form, or: Email ► concrete.indians@gmail.com ◄ Subject: “Concrete Indians Submission” ● Full Name ● Nation/ Affiliation ● Home Community/ First Nation ● Current Location/ City ● Idea(s) Note: All sessions require signing a Release Form prior to shooting which grants the photographer permission to place the images within her portfolio(s) + […]
09 Apr 2010 in Inspiration, Photo Series, by
Indigenous Arts Network
Last year Nadya was interviewed by the Indigenous Arts Network (IAN), a website that showcases contemporary indigenous art from a wide range of disciplines across Canada, namely theatre, writing, film and video, music, new media, dance, craft/ design, visual art and communication. Other artists featured on the website are: Billy Merasty, Michael Greyeyes, Zacharias Kunuk, Terrance Houle, Tracey Deer and many others. IAN is an initiative of the Association for Native Development in the Performing & Visual Arts (ANDPVA). “Success to me means inspiration, being able to inspire other people. That’s when I know I’ve done my job, and at times it can be draining to have to constantly be that, but you keep going and you keep doing it. Because it is reciprocal, people inspire me to do the work that I do. This land we live in, this city that we live in, the country, you know what I mean? It’s reciprocal, it’s all reciprocal.” Full Interview: indigenousartsnetwork.ca/artists/nadya_kwandibens
01 Apr 2010 in Inspiration, Interviews, by
National Exposure via THIS Magazine
Nadya is featured in This Magazine, which hit bookstores across Canada last week, with a profile written by Lisa Charleyboy, titled: Turning the lens on Aboriginal urbanites with “Concrete Indians.” Here is an excerpt from online edition: “Nadya Kwandibens stepped off a Greyhound bus from Phoenix, Arizona, in Kenora, Ontario, in November 2006 with only her camera and her computer. During the two-and-a-half-day trip, her suitcase, containing all her belongings, had been misplaced at a transfer point in Omaha. She lost her clothing, her native powwow jingle dress, and sacred ceremonial items, like her smudge bowl and an eagle feather her aunt gave her. ‘I was broke, tired, hungry, happy, angry, frustrated, and nearly crying,’ she says. ‘I was standing there by the bus…'” Find out which Concrete Indians are featured! ► Read More
27 Nov 2009 in Articles, Features, by
Exhibit ★ Concrete Indians
Concrete Indians is gonna do it up in Toronto this week during the Creator Within Festival presented by ANDPVA. 12 large black & white portraits will be presented featuring: Jennifer Podemski, Darrell Dennis, Michaela Washburn, Waawaate Fobister, Lisa Charleyboy, Anthony Henhawk and Jessica Yee!  I will be there, of course, to talk about the series, what it’s about and how much support it’s been getting… it’s been amazing how many people have taken to this series; folks from across Canada and the U.S.  Here are the details Duration: Nov. 18 – 22, 2009 Opening Reception: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7 – 8pm Wychwood Barns Gallery 601 Christie Street (corner of Benson & Wychwood) View Map RSVP √ A few of the Concrete Indians will be in attendance to talk about their portrait! I hope those in the GTA will come out and see the show and say HI! Baamaaminawaa,
18 Nov 2009 in News + Updates, by