Noémie Fortin

A Curatorial Journey to the Other End of Canada

On the cusp of her last year as a Double Honours student in Fine Arts and Art History, Bishop’s University student Noémie Fortin will travel to the far reaches of the Canadian North to rub shoulders with its art milieu as part of her B.E.S.T. project.

The Lac-Mégantic, Quebec native is heading to Dawson City, Yukon, to assist in the organisation of an annual event at the ODD Gallery in the Klondike Institute of Art & Culture (KIAC).

“I will be participating in a curatorial internship for The Natural and the Manufactured project,” explains Noémie.  “It’s a double exhibition: the first part will be taking place on-site inside ODD and the other will be featured inside two historic Park Canada buildings in Dawson City.”

“The exhibition is a collaboration between the gallery and the KIAC Artist in Residence program. It will explore issues related to site-specificity, meaning artwork created to exist in a certain place, as well as land-based and environmental land practices,” she says.

Noémie’s project is perfectly aligned with her ambition to become a curator. “ I hope to pursue grad studies, leading me to eventually curate contemporary Canadian and international artists’ work on site-specific art and environmental practices in relation with the public,” she reveals. “I strive to engage public interest in contemporary art practices and theories by working on the creation of links between art and the community. I hope to stay in the Eastern Townships after I graduate and continue to be inspired by the close proximity between the city and nature.”

After her return from the Yukon, Noémie will document her experience by submitting a review in the Young Critics Competition, an event sponsored by ESSE magazine, based in Montreal. She also hopes submit a curatorial proposal to the Foreman Art Gallery, located on the Bishop’s campus, and its Community Art Lab.

“I am attracted to the idea of bridging the two edges of the country in an exhibition displaying works of Yukon contemporary artists alongside emerging Quebec artists,” she says.

For Noémie, B.E.S.T. is about bringing her expertise to a new level. “This opportunity will give me the chance to familiarize myself with the greater Canadian art scene and to benefit from a direct contact with professional artists, curators and writers,” she says. “I’m hoping to learn about a different curatorial model and develop a more specific research and discursive identity around themes convergent with The Natural and the Manufactured exhibition.”

She adds: “This B.E.S.T. project will help me prepare for my last year at Bishop’s where I will be the student curator of the 2017 Graduating Fine Arts Students’ Show. For me, this hands-on experience is a fantastic way to learn and grow as a student and a future professional!”