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The Gorman Museum of Native American Art at the University of California, Davis, has on view photographic and multimedia artwork by award-winning artist Shelley Niro.

Niro is widely known for her ability to explore traditional stories, transgress boundaries and embody the ethos of her matriarchal culture. A member of the Kanyen’kehaka (Mohawk) Nation, she uses a wide variety of media, including photography, installation, film and painting, to bring greater visibility to Indigenous women and girls. The exhibition began in late January and runs through Aug. 30. 

Niro, a Bay of Quinte Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and member of the Six Nations of the Grand River, Turtle Clan, works in a variety of media including beadwork, painting, photography and film. Since the late 1980s, she has prolifically produced and exhibited ambitious work at a high level, nationally and internationally.   

Niro attended a graphic arts course at Durham College in Oshawa, concentrating on photography, drawing and art history. Years later, she went to the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, where she graduated with honors. In 2019, she received an honorary doctorate from the Ontario College of Art and Design University.  

Niro was the inaugural recipient of the Aboriginal Arts Award, presented through the Ontario Arts Council in 2012. In 2017, she received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts from the Canada Council of the Arts, the Scotiabank Photography Award and the Hnatyshyn Foundation Reveal Award.  

She is an honorary Elder in the Indigenous Curatorial Collective. In 2019, Niro received the Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award from the Ontario Arts Foundation. Most recently, Niro collaborated with curators at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, National Gallery of Canada, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian to present her first major retrospective, 500 Year Itch, which spanned 50 years and included over 200 works.

Artist talk April 25

Niro will speak at an artist talk Saturday, April 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the museum.

The talk will offer an opportunity to learn more about the artwork on view in the exhibition from the artist as well as gain insight into her practice.

All are welcome. Reception to follow. to the museum are free.

51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Davis is committed to equal access. If you need to request an accommodation,
please call (530) 752-6567.

Exhibit and event sponsors

• The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Art Museum Futures Fund
• 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Davis College of Letters & Science
• Stephen Bulger Gallery
• Andrew Smith Gallery