Art, Activism, Politics: A Canadian Commentary

 Happy New Year everyone! It has been such an interesting time...!? I would like to share some good news - something that I am really proud of...? I feel very honoured to be included in this lineup of accomplished artists! Thank you @ Art Canada Institute and Paul Petro Contemporary Art! To read the article click on this link, Art, Activism, Politics: A Canadian Commentary

Art Canada Institute article on Art, Activism and Politics

"I Can't Breathe" (18 x 24 ") Watercolor and mixed media
by N. Wood

 NEW WEBSITE!

Hey folks I have a new website! You can find it at iamnataliewood.com

Thank you to OAC Skills and Career Development: Indigenous Arts Professionals and Arts Professionals of Colour! And to website developer Lequanne Collins-Bacchus! And to curator Geneviève Wallen and of course my partner Nila Gupta for their generous support and help in creating this website.

In the realm of dreams I swim - Ink and pencil on mylar

30th Annual Mistletoe Magic A holiday art fundraiser - 

submitted for the art auction December 2019 at The Aird Gallery.

ECI Mandela Lectures at Ryerson University for Social Justice Week 2019
I had the opportunity to speak about my Recipes for change through my artwork at the Recipe for Change Mandela Lectures this October alongside Dr. Charmaine Nelson, Camille Turner and moderated by Itah Sadu. See the pictures below.

Artists and PhD students Camille Turner and Natalie Wood, Dr. Charmaine Nelson, Denise O'Neil Green -VP Equity and Community Inclusion, Kiké Roach, Unifor National Chair in Social Justice and Democracy.

Along with Stephanie Cole I included aspects of the Bakergram performance

Messages from Fanon and Josephine Baker read out to the audience

Tree of Forgetfulness vs Ashe

Recipes for Change  - True North: Unmasking Slavery in Canada
"This year’s ECI Mandela Lecture explores the long history of Canadian slavery. Using visuals that capture the experiences of enslaved peoples of African descent, this event explores the brutality of slavery and demystifies the current national myth of racial tolerance in Canada. The event will address the need and potential for national curriculum reform, which currently fails to provide a nuanced understanding of slavery in Canada, and to better understand the effects of slavery as they are experienced by Black communities both within and beyond the academy."
With Dr. Charmaine Nelson, Charmaine Turner and Natalie Wood

2018 Updates in 2019 from In Your Pocket video to more blue deviling and Big on Bloor Festival

Big on Bloor Festival: Pillow Play

With Pillow Play artists Nila Gupta and Natalie Wood create a participatory sculpture piece that invites participants of all ages to construct comfort and meaning out of everyday objects such as pillows. Follow the link here Pillow Play.

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June 2018 - Artist in Residence for York University student association's Pride Float - in collaboration with AGYU

Pride float with a message #gotbloodtogive and Whose party whose blood!

Blue Devils!

Sketch for the float and working on making the float at York University

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June 19/ 2018 - In Your Pocket Screening of TIME AFTER TIME

In your pocket: Time after Time June 19 2018 actors and directors after the Screening

Video Time will Come - 6 mins

Time Will Come is a 5.53 minute experimental video that dramatizes in dance, movement and metaphor the narrator's quest to find her heart. This video looks at the impact of loss, pain and stress experienced by many black & racialized people and offers up a solution. To keep on searching for our hearts, our softness and our joy until that time when we find them. This was screened for In your Pocket: Time after Time at Buddies in Bad times. It stars Danielle Smith and Kyshia Williams, Camera work from Amber Williams-King, with editing consult from Nila Gupta and Emily Wood-Gupta. This was filmed on an iPhone 6s. The link to the video is here - Time Will Come

Presenting Blue Devil Posse at a pop-up talk at the AGO

Natalie Wood Discussing video at AGO 2018

Audience at AGO

Blue Devils that couldn't be blue at the AGO

I created a video based on all the exploits so far from the Blue Devil Posse. You can check us out on facebook. It was a very antiseptic experience talking about the devilish actions the Posse has been involved in. The times when our protesting almost barred us from crossing the stage at Caribana, the cuss and strange looks we get at Pride and the fun we had at Blocko 2017. Because we behave so bad we couldn't 'entertain' de crowd, so I made a video and talked about our actions.
Here is the link to the video - Blue

From Beyond - Accordion style book - encaustic wax, faux fur, pencil, pastel, pencil 

This piece was presented along with a shoe box-sized Hangman installation. Below is the write up of the show at John B Aird Gallery as part of OPS Pride Network programming.

Queer Landscapes, Queer Intersections once again presents a diverse array of work by artists from across Ontario, showcasing a plurality of voices, experiences, and artistic practices represented among the province’s LGBTQ communities.   

The exhibition is centred on the theme of intersectionality, a concept increasingly used to understand complex social equity issues through relationships of power and privilege. An intersectional perspective recognizes that it is not sufficient to view dimensions of identity and diversity in isolation, and that the intersection of social identities is critical to understanding social realities and impacts on individuals and communities.   

Artworks included in the exhibition reflect how LGBTQ social issues and identities intersect with those related to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, ability, class, family structure, sexual and mental health, and other dimensions of potential discrimination, marginalization or stigma.