2024 Indigenous Artist Award\u2019s Laureate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tara Francis<\/strong> is a Mi\u2019kmaq visual artist from Elsipogtog First Nation. Considered a master of traditional Mi\u2019kmaq porcupine quillwork, Tara is a multidisciplinary artist whose work also includes surface design and painting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drawing from her spiritual and artistic journeys, Tara\u2019s work incorporates the connection she maintains to her ancestry. She applies traditional techniques to new forms, while addressing the current issues that deeply affect her people and the environment. The contemporary edge she gives to her quill art has elevated her work to international recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tara is dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the traditional art of porcupine quillwork, and has also shared the tradition by teaching throughout Atlantic Canada and Maine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Her creations have been included in public and private collections around the world, most notably at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the Smithsonian Affiliated Abbe Museum, and in the private collection of His Majesty King Charles III. Tara\u2019s work has been featured in APTN\u2019s Documentary series Wabanaakik<\/em>, in the short documentary film Wabanaki Modern <\/em>by independent film makerClem McIntosh, in the soon-to-be-released CBC documentary Shining A Light on Indigenous Art in Atlantic Canada<\/em>, and in various arts columns and magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tara continues to push the boundaries of traditional Indigenous art, while staying true to her Mi\u2019kmaq roots. She lives and works in Shediac and Fredericton, New Brunswick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/artsnb.ca\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/FB-IG_post-Tara-Francis-1024x485.png\")
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