I work with acrylics, and my favourite subject/genre is Aboriginal. My art is painted in the traditional Woodland style that reflects my Odawa-Ojibway heritage. The originality of my paintings is marked by a combination of everyday experiences around me and the traditional legends of my heritage.
Also figuring heavily in my work is my own spiritual odyssey as a Christian. 'For a long time I was lost. I tried to blend into the dominant society but I never found a place when I felt good about myself. My Creator in His great love for me saw this and He opened up a way for me to get back in touch with who I am and where I come from. Today He is leading me gently back to my culture, my heritage, and my people. He has done this through my art. My art and faith have become integral parts of my self-discovery. When I paint, I pray. I find that I get very dissatisfied with myself when I do not paint, and so, if I am not painting, I am not praying.
Today my husband Jim and I have made Bawating-the Rapids-Sault Ste. Marie our landing spot, our home. Together we have six grown children and many grandchildren. Jim is my greatest supporter. 'My family is very important to me. They have always believed in me, in my capabilities. They are part of my Sacred Circle - Gifts from God."
I am from the OTTAWA NATION, WIKWEMIKONG UNCEDED INDIAN RESERVE on Manitoulin Island, ON.
On Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Zoey was interviewed by Northern Ontario News at her art exhibition and sale on display in the gift shop of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum. To see the video click here:
https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/indigenous-artist-featured-at-sault-ste-marie-museum-1.6448686
Shown below: Zoey's acrylic on paper painting entitled "Storyteller" for $600.00.
To find out more about Zoey click on her video on YouTube:
ART EDUCATION
As self-taught artist I have not received any formal education in art. In one of my report cards in grade school it read 'Zoey has no idea what art is'.
AWARDS
1987 Most Successful Contemporary Graphic 'African Mother & Child' Algoma Fall Festival
1991 Christmas Card Design Ontario Lottery Corporation
1992 Judge's Choice 'Native Soil' A.F.F.
1992 Best Theme 'Jingle Dancer' A.F.F.
1993 Judge's Choice 'Song, Dance & Birth of Mother Earth' A.F.F.
1993 2nd Place 'Mystery of the Trinity'
1994 1st Place 'Birth of Mother Earth', Queenstown Juried Art Show
1994 Juried Fine Art Acquisition Poster, Dept. Indian Affairs, Ottawa, ON
1995 Grant Forest Products Corporation, Northern Ontario Arts Association 'Bawating'
1995 First Nation Artist in the Classroom O.A.C.
1997 Best in Acrylics 'Daniel 3:25' A.F.F.
1999 3rd Place 'Winters Storm', Bon Soo Judged Art Show
1999 Honorable Mention 'Daniel 3:25', 19th Annual Juried Fine Arts, Virginia M. McCune Arts Center, Crooked Tree, Petoskey, Michigan
1999 Best Use of Color 'Balance' A.F.F.
2000 2nd Place 'Lullaby', Bon Soo Judged Art Show
2005 3rd Place "We have Survived", Native American Art Exhibition, Crooked Tree, Petosky, MI
2006 3rd Place "Dancing in the Fire", Olive Craig Gallery, Soo, MI
2006 Olive Craig, Best of Show, 34th Annual Sault Summer Arts Festival, Soo, MI
2008 Graphic Award for cards, prints & book, 36th Annual Sault Summer Arts Festival Soo, MI
2009 Graphic Award, 37th Annual Sault Summer Arts Festival, Soo, MI
2010 Graphic Award, 38th Annual Sault Summer Arts Festival, Soo, MI
2010 1st Place, First Annual Native Woodland Peoples Art Market, Soo, MI
2011 1st Prize in Acrylics, 34th La Cloche Art Show, Whitefish, ON
2011 Best of Show, 34th La Cloche Art Show, Whitefish Falls, ON
2011 Honorable Mention, 39th Annual Sault Summer Arts Festival, Soo, MI
2021 Honorable Mention, Finding Joy Winter Festival of Art Exhibition, Art Gallery of Algoma
Video on Zoey's painting entitled "The Passage" in the Finding Joy Winter Festival of Art Exhibition: https://youtu.be/KlMSSsdjBqg
JURIED SHOWS AND ART EXHIBITIONS
1987 to present - Algoma Fall Festival
1994 Northern Ontario Arts Association
1995 Northern Ontario Arts Association
1997 Northern Ontario Arts Association
1999 & 2001 Virginia McCune Arts Center Crooked Tree, Petoskey, MI
1999 Northern Ontario Arts Association
2002 Northern Ontario Arts Association
2001 & 2002 Tydale College & Seminary, 3rd & 4th Annual Canada-Wide Toronto, On
2002 "Uniquely Canada", Toronto, ON
2004/2005 MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, ON "Dancing Through Time"
2004/2005 NOAA Shows
2005 Crooked Tree Arts Centre, Petosky, MI Native American Art Exhibition
2006 Olive Craig Gallery "It is not what it seems" Soo, MI
2006 "Myself-Visions & Versions" Crooked Tree Arts Centre, Petosky, MI
2007 Bon Soo Juried Art Show, Art Gallery of Algoma, Soo, ON
2007 "Bridges", Olive Craig Gallery, Soo, MI
2008 17th Annual Deer Trail Studio Art Tour Algoma District
2007/2008 "Dancing Through Time 11" Maclaren Art Centre, Barrie, ON
2008 Olive Craig Gallery "Blues" Soo, MI
2009 Alberta House Arts Centre "Home" Soo, MI
2001 to 2009 Sylvan Circle Art Tour, Algoma District
2011/2012 Sylvan Circle Art Tour, Algoma District
2010/11/12 Arts on the Trail, Elliot Lake, On
2010 1st Annual Native Woodland Peoples Art Market, Soo, MI
2010/11/12 33rd, 34th & 35th La Cloche Art Show Whitefish Falls, ON
2008 to 2012 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th & 40th Annual Sault Summer Arts Festival Soo, MI
OTHER INFORMATION:
LOGOS
Health 2000 A Community Project International Institute of Concern for Public Health, TO. ON, 1991
Northeastern Ontario Visibility Minority Networking, Sudbury, ON
Evangelical Lutheran Women Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1992
Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario - Humanity Fund - "Children of the Four Directions living in a Different World" 2003
Phytochemical Society of North American World Conference, 2004
Aboriginal Women's Health and Healing Research Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, 2006
Waabinong Head Start, Soo, ON, 2007
Program Brochure & Conference Poster, Indigenous Law and Policy Center, MSU College of Law, East Lansing, MI, 2007
Painting/Logo for the Native American Institute, the American Indian Studies Program & the Indigenous Law & Policy Center, MSU, East Lansing, MI, 2009
Niwaakai'iganaanind Aboriginal Housing, Soo, ON, 2011
ILLUSTRATIONS
1989 The Reporter 'A Harves of Friend-ship' cover page
1990 'Village Images' Calendar Catholic Church Extension of Can.
1991 Positive Vibrations 'A Festival of Drums' cover page
1991 'Sacred Earth' Series Calendar Catholic Church Extension of Can.
1992 Match News Indigenous Women in the Americas
1993 The North American Holocaust 'Native Soil' cover page
1994 Conference Art – Phytochemical Society of North America
1995 Christmas Card Ron Irwin M.P.
1995 Laurentian University 'Building Tomorrow Today'
2000 Anishinaabemowin Teg -6th Annual Language Conference
2000 Christmas Card for Casino Rama Employees
2000 'The Spirit Powers of Ojibwe and Odawa Art' Story by Winona LaDUKE, Photos by Mary Annette Pember National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
2001 Christmas Card Aboriginal Financial Officers Assoc. of Ontario
2001 Christmas Card Victories Casino & Hotel Petoskey, Michigan
2004 Aboriginal Perspectives, Aboriginal Studies 10
2004 Algoma Community Role Models Resource Inventory
2005 Miziwe Biik AGM Report, TO, ON
2005 Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve Christmas Card
2007/08/09 ON Aboriginal Christmas Card
2007 Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve Christmas Card
2009/10/11/12 First Nations Market Housing Fund Christmas Card
2009 UCCM Police Services Commission Christmas Card
2010 Anishinaabemowin Teg 16th Annual Language Conference
2010 Law Quadrangle, University of Michigan Law School
2011 Aboriginal Beliefs, Values & Aspirations Gr. 10/11 Native Studies Course, Pearson Canada Inc.
In 1991, WEEJEETHOON, a worldwide 41 piece exhibition, intended to tour museums and galleries across Canada and to Europe and Africa. Zoey has 6 paitings in this exhibition. It traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, Cree House, Padua, Italy & New York, as part of the U.N. Conference on Indigenous People. It was organized by the Grand Council of the Crees of Quebec. This exhibition depicts the culture and daily life of African People through Native Canadian eyes.
PLAY - 1991 - 1993 The Future is R's was a play inspired by the 1991 calendar 'Sacred Earth'. The paintings and writings were by Zoey. The play was written by Joy Fedorick. It was based on a concept by Elizabeth Szathmary and presented by the Inner Stage of Toronto.
In 1994 this play was performed in French by Inner Stage.
In 1994 ONEIDA RADISSON HOTEL & CASINO, Richfield Hotel Management Inc. used 5 works of Zoey's art as part of the interior design of the THREE SISTERS RESTAURANT, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Zoey's 'LAST SUPPER' was chosen as 'PHOTO OF THE DAY' by DISCOVERY in August of 2000.
COMMISSIONS
1994 Oneida Radisson Hotel & Casino, Richfield Hotel Management Inc, Green Bay, Wisconsin
1993 St. Anthony Daniel Church, Kaboni, ON The Stations of the Cross
1997 Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Goulais Mission, Stations of the Cross
2000 St. Anthony Daniel Church, Kaboni, ON Last Supper
2005 Holy Cross Mission, Wikwemikong, ON Holy Family & my version of The Pieta
