Staff and Board at Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) and Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art and are pleased to announce Jenny Western as their new curator-in-residence. Both organizations are able to do so with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts through the Assistance to Aboriginal Curators for Residencies in Visual Arts.

Since graduating from York University with her Masters of Art in Art History and Art History at the University of Winnipeg, Western has been the Arts Collections Coordinator as well as a Sectional Instructor at the University of Manitoba, School of Art. She is currently working an adjunct curator at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba in Brandon.

Western has curated over 20 exhibitions throughout Manitoba and Canada.  She has been a jury member and board member for a series of arts councils and organizations in Manitoba.

Aside from her professional practice, Western has been a scholarship, grant and award recipient.  There have also been numerous critical reviews and publications on Western’s curated exhibitions.

At Plug In ICA, Western will curate a number of projects and participate in the development of other strategic initiatives and partnerships. She will begin her appointment in mid July, 2009 and the residency will be for one year.

At Urban Shaman, Western will be responsible for research intended for exhibitions, critical writing, forming new partnerships, assistance in grant writing, and development of the traditional art gallery and the expansion of on-line programming.  She will curate two exhibitions in the main gallery space; write on conundrum (Urban Shaman’s on-line publication), start-up the traditional art gallery and curate two exhibitions in the eSpace gallery on the web. This is just a sample of how Western will be working towards expanding Urban Shaman’s programming initiatives.

Urban Shaman and Plug In ICA will officially welcome Jenny Western on Friday May 22, 2009, 8pm-11pm in conjunction with the Urban Shaman exhibition openings of Anishnwabeh Layers, Glenna Matoush and Non-Compliance, Revisited (MFMG), Please joins us then for an evening of art and celebration.

Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art is located at 203 – 290 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg. Admission is free.