Joane Cardinal-Schubert

Joane Cardinal-Schubert was born in Red Deer, Alberta in 1942. She graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (printmaking and painting) in 1977. She is a multimedia artist whose work has been shown internationally and nationally, in over 26 solo exhibitions and is included in many global art collections.

Cardinal-Schubert has continued to work professionally as a multimedia artist, curator, lecturer, published writer and as a director of video and aboriginal theatre. In 1985, she became the fourth woman in Alberta to be inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy; she was awarded the Commemorative Medal of Canada in 1993 for her contribution to the Arts, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for her contribution to community. She appeared in Loretta Todd’s National Film Board of Canada documentary entitled Hands of History. Her work is published in many catalogues, reviews and books; notably in such publications as Canadian Art — From It’s Beginnings to 2000; By A Lady, Celebrating Three Centuries of Art by Canadian Women and The Trickster Shift. She was acknowledged in 2000, by an Alberta College of Art & Design Alumni Award presented by the former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Lois Hole.

In 2003 The University of Calgary conferred an LL.D, Honorary Doctor of Laws cum laudis on the artist. The Presentation of the artists’ painting, Song of my Dream Bed Dance (1995), was made on behalf of the people of Alberta in 2005 to the National Gallery of Canada in Celebration of Alberta’s Centennial.

In 2006, the Alberta Government presented the artists painting Medicine Wheel Nebula to the Smithsonian, Washington D.C. as a gift on behalf of the People of Alberta in a ceremony at the Canadian Consulate in Washington D.C. and the artist was further honoured that year, by the presentation of the Board of Directors, Alumni Award of Excellence, in art and design Alberta College of Art and Design.

After working on a complex sculpture commission and mosaic floor design for the Calgary Airport over a period of four years she emerged with a new series of works entitled Modern Dancer and is currently working on a series entitled Metro-Techno — Urban Warshirt Issue.

A recipient of the 2007 National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the Arts category, Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert was recently honoured at the Red Crow College on the Kainai Reserve, Alberta in acknowledgement of the receipt of the national award and presented with an Eagle Feather on behalf of the community.

Working with other Blackfoot artists on an original choreographed dance work Pulse by Troy Emory Twigg, at the Banff Centre earlier this year, Cardinal-Schubert’s contribution of lighting/set and costume design has been hailed as innovative. The work will be performed in Toronto at the Distillery in December 2007. Cardinal-Schubert lives and works in Calgary.

Artist’s statement, 2007