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Shelley Niro (born 1954) is a Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte filmmaker and visual artist from New York and Ontario. "Native Networks: Shelley Niro." Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. (retrieved 2 Dec 2010) She is known for her photographs using herself and female family members cast in contemporary positions to challenge the stereotypes and clichés of Native American women.
A multidisciplinary contemporary artist skilled in photography, painting, sculpting, beadwork, multimedia, and independent film, Niro is a member of the Turtle clan of the Kanienkehaka (Mohawk Nation) from Six Nations of the Grand River.
Niro's home life made it easy for creativity to flourish while entertaining her siblings through songs, storytelling, and picture drawing. Niro's family had a big impact on her work, and would later make appearances in various compositions. Niro's artistic ambitions began with her earning a diploma in performing arts from Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario, in 1972. In 1990, she received an honors fine arts degree in painting and sculpture from Ontario College of Art. Niro went on to earn a master of fine arts from the University of Western Ontario in 1997. In 2000, Niro attended the Banff Centre to study film.
Shelly Niro is often compared to the artist Cindy Sherman because they both cast themselves in different roles in an attempt to break down various stereotypes. Niro, however, never fully disguises herself. "She wants the viewer to recognize her within her manifestations."
As her skills advanced, Niro would feature family members in her art pieces. Her piece Time Travels Through Us shows her mother and two of her sisters as a way to represent the social, cultural, and personal values passed from generation to generation. The colors purple and silver reference Iroquois aesthetics and culture. A turtle represents Niro's spirit animal, as well as being a reference to the Turtle Clan of which she is a member.
Most of Niro's work is conceptual, touching on themes of gender imbalance, cultural appropriation, and the importance of cultural influences. She uses the immersion of different mediums to engage her audience with her perspective. In spite of the serious themes such as cultural loss and oppression, some of Niro's pieces have used humor and satire as a form of resistance to convey social misconceptions about her culture while poking fun at outdated stereotypes and ideas.
In 2023, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, New York City, and National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa venue presented a retrospective exhibition of Niro's work, Shelley Niro:500 Year Itch. The retrospective included the premiere of her newest film, Café Daughter.
Niro's art has been featured in several exhibitions and museums across Canada and the United States, including the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Her artistic achievements have also earned Niro fellowships and residencies at major educational and cultural institutions, and the honor of being “Guest Selector” for the NMAI's “Native American Film + Video Festival”.
Niro participated in prominent exhibitions at the Venice Biennale. In 2003, Niro was the exhibition artist for the Indigenous Arts Action Alliance (IA3) showcasing her photography work, as well as her short film “The Shirt” which was later screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Niro received two awards for the film “Honey Moccasin” which she directed in 1998. This film won “Best Experimental Work” at the Dreamspeakers Festival in Edmonton, and “Best Feature” at the Red Earth Film Festival in Oklahoma.
In 2009, Niro received the “Milagro Award for Best Indigenous Film” for “Kissed by Lightning” at the Santa Fe Film Festival.
She won the Scotiabank Photography Award in 2017. In 2020, she was awarded the Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award for Art Photography for outstanding achievement in the field of photography.
In 2020, Niro received the Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award.
Art career
Niro explored the oral history of the Haudenosaunee people in general and the diaspora of Mohawk people in particular. "Shelley Niro." Women Make Movies. (retrieved 2 Dec 2010) She is known for her photography,Colón, Maria. "From Brantford, Ontario with Love." Native American Indigenous Cinema and Arts. Spring 2008 (retrieved 2 Dec 2010) which often combines portraits of living Native women with customary Mohawk imagery. She uses herself, friends, and family members as models. Her 1992 photographic series, This Land Is Mime Land and 500 Year Itch employ humorous pop culture references, such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.Ryan 78-9 Niro often works in diptychs and triptychs, using photographic processes such as photo montage, hand tints, and sepia tones.
Selected exhibitions
Group exhibitions include:
Solo exhibitions:
(2019). 9780295745794 ISBN 9780295745794
Film and video
Awards and recognition
The National Museum of American History named Niro a fellow in 1997. She won the Walking in Beauty Award for her 1992 production It Starts With a Whisper. The film Honey Moccasin won Best Experimental Work at the Dreamspeakers Festival in Edmonton, Alberta and Best Feature, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Director at the Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Her short film The Shirt was presented at the 2003 Venice Biennale and the 2004 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. Niro was awarded a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2017.
Quotations
"Some people think that to be Indian, you have to do certain things, but I'm saying that you're Indian no matter what you do, but you have to decide what you want to do and you have to ask questions, like, am I doing something because it's expected of me to do, or am I doing it because I really believe this and it's really a part of me. So I'm always questioning that, saying, "Am I being truthful to myself? How much a part of what I do is part of my psychology?" —Shelley Niro
Personal life
Niro currently resides in Brantford, Ontario, with her husband.
Notes
Further reading
(2026). 9781897407356, Art Gallery of Hamilton / National Museum of the American Indian. ISBN 9781897407356
External links
Categories: Living People, 1954 Births, Canadian Mohawk Women Artists, First Nations Painters, First Nations Photographers, First Nations Filmmakers, People From Niagara Falls, New York, People From The County Of Brant, University Of Western Ontario Alumni, Canadian Women Painters, Members Of The Royal Canadian Academy Of Arts, 21st-century Canadian Women Artists, Native American Women Painters, Native American Painters, Mohawks Of The Bay Of Quinte People, 21st-century American Women, Governor General's Award In Visual And Media Arts Winners, Canadian Women Film Directors, Film Directors From Ontario, Native American Women Photographers, Native American Photographers, Turtle Clan Of The Iroquois
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