Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art is elated to present:

The Performance of Being

A retrospective by Leesa Streifler

November 14, 2025 – January 3, 2026

Opening Reception | Friday, November 14, 2025, 7 – 10PM

Curatorial Walkthrough with Wayne Baerwaldt | Thursday, November 27, 7 PM

Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art is elated to announce The Performance of Being, a retrospective by Leesa Streifler.

The exhibition explores Streifler’s sustained interest in the representation, performance and politics of “Othered,” marginalized and non-conforming bodies. Drawing on her own lived experience and informed by feminist theory, her powerful, emotionally-charged, and expressive works present figures that defy social conventions, behavioural ‘norms’ and traditional gender roles to engage in critical discourse on body-image, sexuality, agency, performativity, relationships, motherhood, illness and aging. Drawn from public and private collections nationwide, this survey brings together over one hundred works in drawing, painting, mixed media, photography and installation, exemplifying the significant contributions of Streifler’s critically-acclaimed practice towards feminist art in Canada.

This exhibition is curated by Wayne Baerwaldt & Jennifer McRorie. It is organized by the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery in partnership with the Nickle Galleries (Calgary, AB), Art Gallery of Swift Current (Swift Current, SK), Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (Brandon, MB) and Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art (Winnipeg, MB).

Funding for this exhibition is provided by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage Museum Assistance Program, the City of Moose Jaw, SK Arts, Government of Saskatchewan, SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Lotteries and Canada Council for the Arts. Support for the exhibition is provided by the National Gallery of Canada.

Leesa Streifler : La Performance de L’être présente une rétrospective du travail de l’une des principales artistes féministes canadiennes au cours de ses 40 ans de carrière. L`exposition examine les intérêts soutenu de Streifler avec la représentation, performance et politiques de les << autres >>, marginalisées, et les corps non conformes. À partir de sa propre expérience et éclairée par la théorie féministe, ses œuvres puissantes, chargées d’émotion et expressives présentent des personnages qui défient les conventions sociales, les « normes » comportementales et les rôles de genre traditionnels pour s’engager dans un discours critique sur l’image corporelle, la sexualité, l’action, la performance, les relations, la maternité, la maladie et le vieillissement. Provenant de collections nationales publiques et privées, cette enquête rassemble plus d’une centaine d’œuvres de dessin, de peinture, de techniques mixtes, de photographie et d’installation, illustrant les contributions significatives de la pratique acclamée par la critique de Streifler vers l’art féministe au Canada.

Organisé par Wayne Baerwaldt et Jennifer McRorie. Organisée par le Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, en partenariat avec les Nickle Galleries, l’Art Gallery of Swift Current, l’institut Plug-In d’art contemporain et l’Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.

l’institut Plug-In d’art contemporain souligne le généreux soutien du Gouvernement du Canada et du Programme d’aide aux musées de Patrimone canadien, la Ville de Moose Jaw, SK Arts, le Gouvernment de la Saskatchewan, SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Lotteries, et le Conseil des arts du Canada. Le soutien à l’exposition est assuré par le Musée des beaux-arts du Canada.

Leesa Streifler received a BFA honours from the University of Manitoba and an MFA from Hunter College in New York. She taught in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Regina for over 30 years influencing generations of art students. She has exhibited widely in Canada and internationally and has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards from SK Arts, Manitoba Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts. Her work is included in major public collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, Canada Council Art Bank, SK Arts, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Dunlop Art Gallery and Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery. Streifler is passionate about feminism and art education, actively mentoring other artists through MAWA (Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art) in Winnipeg, MB.

Leesa Streifler a reçu un baccalauréat spécialisé en beaux-arts de l’université du Manitoba et une maîtrise en beaux-arts du Hunter College de New York. Elle a enseigné au département des arts visuels de l’Université de Regina pendant plus de 30 ans, influençant des générations d’étudiants en art. Elle a exposé largement au Canada et à l’étranger et a reçu de nombreuses subventions et récompenses de SK Arts, du Conseil des Arts du Manitoba et du Conseil des Arts du Canada. Son travail fait partie de grandes collections publiques, notamment celles du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada, de la Banque d’œuvres d’art du Conseil des Arts du Canada, de SK Arts, de la Mackenzie Art Gallery, de la Winnipeg Art Gallery, du Dunlop Art Gallery et du Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery.  Streifler est passionnée par le féminisme et l’éducation artistique, encadrant activement d’autres artistes par le biais du MAWA (Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art) à Winnipeg au Manitoba.

Acknowledgments

We are on Treaty 1 Territory. Plug In ICA is located on the territories of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the National homeland of the Red River Métis. Our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation. 

Plug In ICA extends our heartfelt gratitude to our generous donors, valued members, and dedicated volunteers. We acknowledge the sustaining support of our Director’s Circle. You all make a difference.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council, the Manitoba Arts Council and Winnipeg Arts Council. We could not operate without their continued financial investment and lobbying efforts.

Plug In ICA relies on community support to remain free and accessible to all, and enable us to continue to present excellent programs. Please consider becoming a member of Plug In ICA and a donor at https://plugin.org/support or by contacting Gilles Hébert, Interim Executive Director at executivedirector@plugin.org.

For more information on public programming and exhibitions contact info@plugin.org.

For general information, please contact: info@plugin.org or call 1.204.942.1043