Maxine Noel is Santee Oglala Sioux, born on the Birdtail Reservation in south-western Manitoba. She believes that there is a common bond that links all cultures of the world. She has participated in video productions and given many television and radio interviews to assist in bridging the gap between Native and non-Native communities. Her dedication, commitment, strength, and self-determination make her a valuable role model for all Canadians. Maxine Noel has received the Golden Jubilee Medal, a creation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in honor of her outstanding service to Canada.

She was one of the first artists to work with the Canada and Africa Village Twinning Programs, and she is a founding Board Member of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. She has lectured at the Saskatchewan School of Fine Arts, Ryerson University, the University of Brandon, the University of Western Ontario and the Ontario College of Art and Design. She has served as a panel member at the Canadian Heritage Symposium for the Minister of Culture and as juror for major arts organizations and funding programmes. She is particularly proud of the work she has done with elementary and high school students throughout Canada.

Maxine signs her work with her Sioux name – IOYAN MANI – which means “To Walk Beyond”.

Stephen St. Christian

Stephen St. Christian, originally from Toronto, currently lives in Stratford with a husband, two dogs, and a remarkable chosen family. This family is at the heart of his work as an artist; work where he explores the ways image making can challenge history and invoke the personal and the physical at the heart of the politics of experience. The pieces in this show conjure archetypes and then subvert them so they can tell different stories. His work is not ambiguous or ambitious. Through it he asks questions, leaving the answers to you.