Well Well where have you been all this time Terrance.

yes yes I know I know I have been horrible about updating but I swear I have been workin my ass off. So much to say and so little time to write a massive blog. I guess I will start by thanking peeps for the last couple of months, new work and also for helping me with my Tour to farts of arts this past June. I had 7 shows open just in June, in Calgary, Toronto (Twice), Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton (twice), and Victoria.as well I had two great shows open in Winnipeg (GIVEN’R) PLUG ICA Gallery and REDSHIFT Gallery in Saskatoon.

Quyen and Neko are first, who support and give me life.

Given’r- Terrance Houle, PLUG IN ICA Gallery, Winnipeg

I guess I didn’t really get to thank the PLUG IN ICA esspecially Anthony Kiendl (Curator), Daniel Ellingsen, Collin Zip and Plug in Staff for making GIVEN’R an awesome Exhibit. It was my first major solo exhibit and in one of my home towns Winnipeg were my Fathers family is from, Sandy Bay Reservation. The show was completely emotional for myself  as it was my fisst solo and also a sort of Mini-retro of the Last 5 years of my work. When anthony asked me to have an Exhibit of the majority of my work I swear the last 5 years flashed through my eyes, all the ups and most of all the downs, which has been a lot. I definetly shead some tears when the show was up and to see the scope of my career thus far and thanks to Dan and Collin who helped articulate the space. I also had a chance to create a new installation for the show based on my Father and his mother (my kookum), which was a portrait of my father and his life thus far. The work is a replication of my Kookums sitting area with rocking chair, and table with nicknack and a clock radio. On the radio I had my fathers reciting in intervals the letters he wrote his mother from the time he was 13yrs old(he left his rez residential school to go to residential school in Winnipeg) till the time he retired from the armed forces. basiclly it was from the time he left home and kind of set off in the world alone, as he kind of became alienated from his family and parents. The work was a very hard piece to develope as I had to aproach my father with this subject and itwas in a sense very emotional, as I always viewed him as a tough stern army guy and I didn’t realized the hurt that was underneath. ok i better stop i feel myself already welling up. anyways it was a great show and I am hoping it will tour. please check out canadian Art Fall issue for a review of the show. as well to see pics go to facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81024&id=80299913276

I’d like to thank Native artist Run Centre REDSHIFT and also IPAC in Saskatchewan for hosting my show with Tim Moore thanks to felicia, Judy McNaughton, University of Sask. Michel Boutin.

Transforming Motion - The New Gallery, Calgary and The Works Festival in Edmonton

This is an Exhibit I curated for the New Gallery ad also traveled to the works festival this Jun. The show features artists Blackhorse Lowe, Nadya Kwandibens & Duane Linklater who all developed new works based on Nomadic, urban and rural Lifestyles. I have to say that the work allworks so well together.Thanks to the artists, TNG, TheWorks, Tim Westbury, Jessica MccARREL, eRIN Belanger, Truck Gallery, Renato Vitic, Amber rooke and Dawn Saunders-Dauhl for everything.

Here are some links of press and what not:

http://concreteindians.ning.com/

http://www.thenewgallery.org/exhibitions/main-space/terrance-houle-curates-3-exhibitions-2009-05-15

http://www.theworks.ab.ca/festivalfolder/festival/festival.html

http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=12267

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/rezdogs-and-city-slickers-3830/

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Entertainment/Tips+last+minute+Works+goers/1741426/story.html

What Moves us- The Western Front- Vancouver Curated by Liz Park

Ok so this was the start of my tour in June. Curator Liz park asked me to make a new work, for her group show What Moves Us, Based on the Portage  series I have been working on. The video was with 4 other artists who were awesome. Thanks to everyone at Western front, LIZ PARK, Aleesa Cohene, Trevor Freeman, Marilou Lemmens, Richard Ibghy, Jayce Salloum, and Jin-me Yoo.

http://www.front.bc.ca/

Ok I ahve to Interject here on some little tour tidbit. I had a great time in vancouver, I have to esspecially thank Daina Warren for putting me up and putting up with me in Vancouver, as well Rebbecca and OZ (Lady Wizard #50)  who totally rock as well as SonnyAssu who I ahd the funniest Terrance Houle Moment ever with. Thanks guys.

Ottawa via Calgary- Portage 2009 (Ottawa)- MAgnetic North Festival Ottawa

Ok this couldn’t have worked out better if i say so for myself. Kris Nelson fromt eh Magnetic North Festival ask us if we could do Portage in Canada’s Capital. now how can yours truely not jump at this chance. Yes we did parliment Hill and yes we got our ass kicked off our nations Capital Lawn. It was totally awesome, I mean awesome the RCMP completly yelled at us and then sent a car to tail our Portage. It was pretty fuckin Hilariou. I also got to eat Narwal. yes NArwal. thanks to Kris, MAgnetic North Festival, Staff, Naoimi Campbell, Sheila Pokiak and her man.

here is an interview clip:

Portage Interview CbC Radio 1

Art & Identity- Ella Copper Curator and awesome person Toronto.

ok so I was finishing up at MAgnetic North and I was asked to tdo a panel on the day after Portage. I also got asked to fly to Toronto to do another panel with Ella Coppers show so I thought fuck it I might as well just go to TO from Otatwa and do two panels in two different cities in one day….who wouldn’t…..hahahaha yea I am crazy. I had such a rad time though. So I finally got to TO to do my panel and realized i ahd no clean cloths since i haven’t had time to do them and I was already two weeks into my tour…gross I know. So i got in to the Panel space and found a laundry matt and decided during my panel ill do some laundry. anyways onto to the show. Ella Copper ahs been working on this awesoem crazy Project called art & identity with several artists across Canada. I was one of the many artists she intervieed and created soundscapes with the audio. anyways its an awesome Project and I had fun even if it was one night in TO. you can check the show with audio here:

http://artidentity.ca/index.php

Oh yea for the TO panel I did an impromptu Performance and got into my Breach cloth and moccasin, naked underneath, while Sonny Assu retold the story of how we met.

Calgary- home

ok so I finally made it home for a few days inbetween which was nice because i could wash my underwear  and stuff.

The Works Transforming Motion- Edmonton

ok so I drove up to Edmonton to start to install the show fromt eh New GAllery at the works. I spent almost 12 hours setting up as I had to get back to Calgary the same night to catch an early flight to Victoria for my Casting call performance. So it basically was a hectic day. A very good hectic day though. we burned through setting up and tried to get as much done as possible. Mostly it was trying to secure a large projection space for Blackhorse’s Awesome film JUNE. I wanted to make this work the highlight of the exhibit as the audio was so fantastic. I ahve been wanting to work with Blackhorse for a while now and it was nice to have him come up to Alberta and represent the Navajo Nation.Anyways ona side note the show unfortunatly didn’t open on time. one of the artists works did not show and the show was incomplete for the first two days of the Works Festival. I sincerely apologize to everyone who came to see the show the first two days and did not experiance the full Exhibit. I am truely Sorry. On the sunday though thanks to someone special (Tim, Quyen and Neko) the show finally got going and was well recieved along with the panel.

check links from the earlyer part of this entry.

The World Upside Down- Art Gallery of Greater Victoria - Victoria BC

So inbetween Transforming Motion up in Edmonton, I had booked myself for my Final Casting Call session in Victoria for Richard Hill’s Curated Exhibit Transforming Motion. I totally had to catch an early flightafter spending 12 hours setting up in the Mitten and driving home for three hours. I made it to Victoria. I got in pretty early and didnt realize i had a half hour drive into Victoria via taxi. The taxi guy was pretty cool and jsut chatted with me along the way, asking me what i did and i told him i was there for an exhibit and I hada billboard ont eh highway and he laughed and said That Why I looked familiar…funny. He actually saw the billboard and was trying to place my face. sidenote.

ok so I got to Victoria I dropped by teh GAllery to see the exhibit and it looked awesome thanks to everyone at the AGGV, Lisa and Nicole and staff. as well Rose for taking em to the bar and The cats from the cruiseline I  met and showed them a proper hockey fight…lol

CASTING call went off without a hitch and was probably the best version of the work. This is officially the last CASTING CALL and now I will be editing it all together for a feature film which will go with the Show on its next stop in Quebec.

So I finally made it back to Edmonton after my crazy Victoria adventure which included meeting awesome artist Jackson 2Bears who I am a fan of. I finally also made it back to Calgary safe and sound were I have been trying to sort out my studio situtuation as I have moved and packed everything up. This past weekend I decided to go to the Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo in Strathmore ALberta with renowned Artist PAul Wong to chill with my wife and help Paul a bit. Also because I am protesting the SLED ISLAND FESTIVAL as Zack P. runs a rascist Bar.

So now I am gearing up for my Aboriginal Summer Media Youth Program which will run also summer. Ryan Rice’s Curated show Alternation running at the Harbour FrontCentre in Toronto Opened yesterday and is a group show. My Installation:Aakaisttsiiksiinaakii: Many Snake Woman: “The Daughters After Me,” 2008, is part of the exhibit check out the link below and click my name for more information.

http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/visualarts/yorkquaycentre.cfm#a

Ok so if you made it through this then I am proud of you and proud of myself for focusing for the last 54 hours writing and finding links and shit.

Thanks

Terrance Houle

Update:

Notice To art community

I am writing this notice as a way to let everyone know that I am not officially  as represented by any Gallery in Canada or elsewhere. If you have come across any information that says I am represented that is false, please contact me at terrancehoule@hotmail.com. Again this is a notice that Terrance Houle (myself) is an independant artist  with no representation. I am enjoying my current status and have left my previous gallery for several reasons.

Thank You

Terrance Houle

In celebration of Terrance Houle’s 5th year at Art making and his First Major Solo & 5 year Survey at the PLUG-IN Gallery opening march 27th/09 in Winnipeg Manitoba, I would like to offer a free online Screening
LANDSCAPE is the final work in a series with the same name by Terrance Houle. Shot on Super 8, directed, written & Produced by Terrance Houle featuring Calgary’s GUTTERAWL.
please enjoy this special screening of LANDSCAPE.

Hello everyone,

Its been a bit since I have posted anything and its now 2009. I thought I would just post a couple of updates and then go right into a year in review for those interested  in what I did.

Updates:

I will be doing an artist talk at the TRUCK GALLERY: On the Soap Box Series, January 21st/09, 7pm

link: http://www.truck.ca/index.php?action=view&exnumber=159

I will also be on tour in March/April/ May across Canada. dates will be posted in teh next couple weeks.

2008 Year in Review

So 2008 was a totally interesting year for myself, It was the first year I spent entirely working as a professional artist, creating work and exhibiting all over. Unlike most years I did not have my summer youth media gig and was lucky enough to do a wide range of works such as Don Coyote and Dewdney Avenue Project. plus some major traveling

Top 11 2008 stuff in no particular order

1) Honouring Tradition and  Tracing Histories exhibits at the Glenbow Museum. I was lucky to show with over 75 years of relations in the first exhibit as I was related to half the artists. The latter had an installation featuring a 71 year old portrait of my grandmother when she was 17 and my video response to it.

2) Driving to Saskatoon with Lucid 44 and Dan W. to perform at Tribe Inc.’s Mini Fest. It was super fun time and a great video/performance/sountrack work. Also the drive back was fun as someone (who will go unamed) masturbated by a tree in a field.

3)  creating new work for Face the Nation Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Pitching tipi’s which are three portrait/performance documents of 3 Aboriginal Males in loin cloths with an erection underneath.

4) Dewdney Avanue Project for Common Weal in Regina. creating work with HO Mdels is crazy. I had fun doing this small residency, thanks to Elwood and Kerri. The work was later in my solo show at SKEW Gallery (see Previous post)

5)DON COYOTE- collaborating with Matt Masters and his Band was fun, hard ork, crazy, and one of the funnest shows I have done. We also performed for Nuit Blanche which wasn’t to bad and SLED Island one of my favorite festivals.

6) Neko started Kindergarten in the Fall…sniff sniff my little girl is growing up.

7) Beijing, China Trip, I went to china the week before the Olympics Opened and had a blast. Thanks to Canadian Heritage and  th Glenbow Museum for sending me. I presented a ten minute talk and ran around downtown Beijing for 6 days. Super happy fun times.

Sir Elton John Came to Calgary and I ended up privately exhibiting in his Hotel Suite for 2 weeks. I am now proud to say, I am also in his collection.

9) GOOD MEDICINE Project for ACAD. I was asked to create a work for this project based on First Nations Health and wellness. The work turned out to be a portrait of my mother dealing with life and Cancer on the Blood Reserve. It was one of the hardest works to create as it dealt with something so very personal. watch out for it in the comming months.

10) Performing at The Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. I created a performance in response to Jerry Seinfelds  Cigar Store Indian. Thanks to Melissa and Sierra. I also had a Navajo Taco….mmmmm

11) Nominated for the Sobey Award ( long list)

So thats my Top Ten 2008 events. There was lots of other fun stuff like imagineNATIVE and performing at ACAD with Adrian Stimson again but you will have to come to my artist talk on the 21st to see.

Anyways 2009 is shining Bright and i am pretty excited about this year as it marks a five year point for my career and I will be celebrating it with my First Major Solo Exhibit/Survey from the last 5 years, details will be coming very soon.

oxox

Terrance Houle

Ni hao everyone,

well first off excuse myself for the title but its true….second correct my grammar if its that important

So I haven’t updated in a few weeks as I have been workin my ass off as usual on artworks. this time though, I have been doing some totally different and interesting events.

First off:

I was in MAtt masters DON COYOTE, which was a totally fun project and will be at Nuit Blanche in Toronto at the Beginning of March. DC was a take on the western buddy story from pop culture and classic western movies, books, music and other stuff, it is set in Calgary, Alberta where we live. The story is also influenced by Don Quixote, not based. I play Sancho /Chief/Terrance who is basicly a Blackfoot guy from Southern Alberta. I end up being Matt Masters/MattB/ Don Coyote’s Sidekick who happens to be Indian. well let me say that this was definitely a highlight this year, to be on Stage with Matt and his band playing 13 shows, rockin out to Honky Tonk music was soo much FUN.

Second off:

after finishing DC I had a BBQ at my house for the after Party, we cooked Buffalo/Steak and Burgers plus a whole lot of Beers anyways the cats at NAICA asked me call in for an update and well you can listen to it here its kind of long but at the end :

http://www.thenaica.org/edition_nine/air/intro.htm

Third:

So after a couple days off I had to fly to Regina, Saskatchewan, which was ok.

So COMMON WEAL in Regina asked me to come and do residency to create work based on Dewdney Avanu, which runs along the length of Regina and has a HUGE history. its the place Louie Riel Was hung, RCMP and gangland is, as well the industrial area, trains, Firs nations, and its close to Mosaic Field home of the Rough Riders and Buffalo Days. So basically i created photo works with HO models of scenarios which depict the diverse history of street.so now the exhibit will be shown at SKEW gallery in Nov. as well they will be featured on Bus stops in Regina Running along Dewdney.

So after my Regina Residency I came back to Calgary for a day and prepared for my Trip to Beijing, China.

what can i say about my trip to Beijing beside crazy, Awesome and one totally artistic experience. I was invited by the Glenbow museum to participate with VP Kirstin Evenden for the CHIN Symposium , Digital Heritage : Securing the Intangible through the Virtual, hosted in Beijing China. so the symposium ran for two days but i went out for 6 days. ok, so i got asked to go to China and I totally didn’t know what to think or even expect. I went to get my shots in Regina and the woman there informed of all these things to make sure of and such rabies and Hand mouth disease…etc. I was a little scared to tell you the truth, ive never been out of the Canada or the USA and well the world being what it is with the whole Tibet thing, and bad things you here about China i can say I was a little apprehensive. Then i realized how shitty Canada and the USA have treated my people and I thought what the fuck can’t be all that bad, most Canadians don’t give a shit about First Nations ( and to you who do. you rock!!!) or their own shit in their back yards. So I felt a bit more at ease. well I landed and found my hotel easily and as soon as i got there people from the Symposium left a note to go for dinner. so i changed and left to meet them. we walked down the street from the hotel ended up at these Venders that serve food on a stick and what not:

So we went to this dope restaurant and ordered a bunch of food, beer and some kick as Spirits ( forgot the name) but it was good. after staying there for a while we decided to go to the Hou Hai District which was made of three lakes and bars/restaurants. so much fun and we definitely went back.

The next two days was symposium days at the BC Canadian Pavilion which w as close to Tian’an men Square , along the way i got to see teh square and Big Daddy Moa’s house I called it, summer palace,the forbidden city..etc. These were interesting landmarks but didn’t so much interest me. I was more into the modern China and all the buildings and rest of the City.

The symposium was really good and very informative. I am not going to explain to much on it as you can probably read more online at CHIN. I was felt so fortunate to represent Canada, Blackfoot people, Saulteaux/Ojibway People, First Nations, and Calgary Alberta at this symposium. along with Glenbow’s Presentation Iwas asked to present my Urban Indian Series and Many Snake woman Installation i had in Honouring Tradition/Tracing Histories. :

The presentation went really well and both the Chinese and Canadian Delegates really liked the work and it fit well with the symposium.

So after the symposium I decided to stay for a few days extra to check out the scene and let em tell yea, the art in Beijing is totally fucking phenomenal . The 798 district was so awesome and full of great art. I really felt at home there in the art district as alot of the work was political or social based even if it was a portrait big or small. as well a lot of the works had something to do with Identity and struggle, the issues i often deal with in my art or personal life. There is definitely some great contemporary or modern art whatever you want call it coming out of there. I like many people I know had a totally wrong perception of what art is in Beijing. it was funny because Kirstin and a couple others asked me to go to the Terracotta Army statues but i was to tired to want to travel there so i decided to stay and go shopping with friends ( the markets are crazy thats all i can say) After that we went to the art district, which had this show on Contemporary Terracotta Warriors:

ok almost done, I also had a wonderful chance to hang out with Calgary artist Christine Chueng who was there for a residency. It was funny because we never get a chance to hang in Calgary and then had a chance to meet in Beijing….funny world.

well i can go and on about my trip but this is getting a bit to long. tons of fun stuff happened. sitting on a rooftop patio next to Hutongs while Daniel was telling us a love story and Christines friend was fielding real estate business in Calgary or Paul getting malled by Chinese woman at the market, The Styrofoam Totem Poles along with lame First Nations Exhibit (classic encased artifacts with limited labels) finding a dub/reggae bar..etc.

maybe another time..

so for updates I am currently working with CIFF also getting ready for Don Coyote for Nuit Blanche and CASTING CALL for imagineNATIVE in Toronto then onto the Museum of American Indian in Washington DC for another fun gig. I will also be having an Exhibit of New works at SKEW Gallery in November . ok I am thinking I might do some video updates from now on as I am getting email about my Writing and Grammar . so until my friends

I bid you a due

Hey everyone

here is a new update on my travels and art events:

I sjut wanted to Thank Everyone in the production of Matt Master’s DON COYOTE for giving all that they can. I thought the show was totally amazing and fun. we will be taking it to Toronto for Nuit Blanche.

you can check out all the details at the facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21932693274

Sorry i didn’t get much time to post the details of DON COYOTE sooner.

http://www.canada.com/cityguides/calgary/story.html?id=2af0846a-12b9-455f-a94f-23e16b2ed9ba

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/entertainment/story.html?id=7eec465d-4772-4a45-9c3f-b95f574ca9cb

http://santaclausfund.ca/entertainment/article/457578

Beatroute article:

http://www.beatroute.ca/view_article.php?sectionID=19&articleID=1534

Poster

DON COYOTE by Matt Master with Terrance Houle

I am now getting ready to head to regina to do a two week residency with COMMON WEAL :

http://www.commonweal-arts.com/?s=whatsup

I am the Third artist in this amazing series The Dewdney Avenue Project.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=19227853391&ref=ts

this is an exciting Project that I thin will turn out to be a highlight this summer.

I am also hopefully off to Beijing in the first week of August for a Symposium on Digital histories. I am pretty stoked by this as I have never been of the continent and let alone over sea’s. Anyways thats it for now and I am posting a great Poster of DON COYOTE by artist Wilford Berrington

thanks Terrance

Hey everyone. news update

First off i need to thank Lucid 44 and drummer Dan Wilson from the Band FLON (http://www.myspace.com/lucid44gutterawl) (http://www.myspace.com/flonflonflonflon)

for the wicked shows in Saskatoon. Also thanks to Lori Blondea, Tribe inc. and PAVED arts for allowing u to perform my new performance “I Will See You Again”.

Upcoming shows.

I am currently working with Matt Masters on his Honky Tonk Musical called “Don Coyote” which will premier in Late June at the Glenbow Museum for Calgary’s SLED ISLAND Music Festival.

(http://www.myspace.com/mattmastersmusic)

( www.sledisland.com)

I will be performing againw ith Lucid and DAN for the opening night of “Face the Nation” at the Art Gallery of Alberta, also sponsored by the MAY works Festival:

(http://www.artgalleryalberta.com/content/view/176/61/)

I will be featuring the Urban Indian Series and also a new series titled “Pitchin Tipi’s” new photo works.

Other upcoming events will be continues shows of Don Coyote at the Glenbow in july.

I will also be in Regina in Late July working with Young Artists for the a Common Weal Project:

http://www.commonweal-arts.com/

I was also lucky to sit for emerging artist Wilford Barrington:

http://wilfordbarrington.blogspot.com/2008/05/terrance-houle.html

Anyways for more information either check the links or email me at terrancehoule@hotmail.com

thanks

Terrance

Hello Everyone,

I am officially taking April off of my Art Practice. I have been under a lot of stress and burning both ends with my art practice and personal life. On Thursday/Friday of March 27/28th I suffered a total burn out both physically and emotionally. I found out my body had suffered a total shut down and burn out and I physically couldn’t function. I missed my Performance in Toronto at the ANDPVA Fest at OCAD, which signaled to myself its time for a much needed break. Sorry to everyone in Toronto who came out to the performance night and who were disappointed to not see my performance, please forgive my absence. I will be back with new works and such

see yea soon

Terrance

I the meantime here is some Black Lips to tie you over until I come back with as much energy as these Indians int he video: