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
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.
Red Works Studio is currently developing the 2011 Promotional Video! It will be launched in conjuntion with our 2011 Summer/ Fall Tour! If you’d like to request your city to be on one of this year’s tours, please visit the 2011 Tour page and submit your city request! Baamaaminawaa, Original Post Date: July 2010 Red Works Studio ► Promo III from Red Works Studio on Vimeo. Music: “We Are” – Digging Roots Video Production: Ricardo/ Rico Amezquita Red Works Studio (RWS) offers a wide range of photographic services to meet your needs. We are available for sessions throughout North America. Check out the ► 2010 Photo-Session Tour + email info@redworks.ca Repost Video: Copy/ Paste the video embed code:
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
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
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
Last week, I was in Thunder Bay, Ontario to attend the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund‘s (NADF) Business Awards, held October 21st. NADF is an aboriginal owned and controlled organization delivering business and financial services to the member First Nations of Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Launched in 1991 and held annually, the Business Awards recognizes the outstanding commitment, dedication and contributions of the growing Aboriginal and Métis business community in northern Ontario. This year marked NADF’s 19th gala event. In the days prior to leaving I had rushed around getting business docs and info sent off to awards selection committee. Everything came together just in the nick of time! Upon arriving in Thunder Bay I was so tired! I went to the hotel, had a quick bite to eat in the hotel restaurant, back up to the room, ironed my shirt, then… slept. Time passed… and passed. I must have been really tired, because I slept a good 4 hours and woke up with 15 mins to get ready! I did the quick 5 min make-up routine, called the cab and was off in 10 mins flat! I was told I was to be recieving the Neechee Achievement Award, but upon finding […]
So my buddy Louie sent a pair of 8th Gen kicks a few months back …featuring his most stellar, vibrant, original artwork. I was so stoked when they arrived, and immediately tried ’em on. These (along with all his other designs) are one-of-a-kind, custom made shoes… and the first pair w/ the Heron design. I was waiting for the right time to photograph, the right mood. Here are the results of the recent shoot. (click images to view larger) Since launching 8th Gen thousands have connected with Louie’s artwork. 8th Gen has been featured in Indian Country Today, on CBC Radio, and countless newpaper articles, blogs, and social-networking sites. If you haven’t heard of 8th Gen yet, here’s a bit of background info re: his approach: When I started putting my art on shoes a few months ago, I had no idea it would lead to a facebook page with over a 1000 fans (now 2000!) in just a few weeks and my first small business. I just wanted to create something that represented me, a person who celebrates the dynamic realities of modern life while maintaining a strong cultural identity. It turns out that many people are also drawn […]
