Lisa Bird-Wilson is looking to build on the work already being done to bridge gaps in underserved communities, including Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, newcomer and disabled artists.
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Lisa Bird-Wilson’s impact as a leader was never more apparent to her than the moment she was approached by a young Indigenous woman with a handwritten card.
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It happened last week at a meet-and-greet event which Bird-Wilson attended as the recently appointed and first Indigenous CEO of SK Arts, an organization that provides funding for a wide range of local artists (musicians, writers, visual and theatre artists, etc.).
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The young woman — a member of an Indigenous art collective — shared in her card how important it was to see another Indigenous woman leading a provincial arts organization.
“It’s really humbling to think about that message,” said Bird-Wilson, who moved into her new role on Nov. 18. “I found it very touching. It’s sort of a level of responsibility that I wasn’t really putting together. I can see now that there’s something to live up to here and there’s something for my Indigenous community but also more broadly in the arts community as an Indigenous woman in this role.”
SK Arts was established in 1948 as the Saskatchewan Arts Board. The organization rebranded to SK Arts in 2020 but continues to provide grants, programs and services to individuals and groups whose activities have a positive impact on the arts in this province.
A Saskatoon-based Métis and Cree writer, Bird-Wilson was chosen because of her extensive background in the arts and commitment to fostering creativity, said SK Arts board chair Ian Rea in a November news release.
“Lisa personifies the vision of change and leadership needed to guide SK Arts into the future.”
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Bird-Wilson has authored four books, with her most recent work (Probably Ruby) being shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Amazon First Novel Award. It was also named Book of the Year at the 2022 Saskatchewan Book Awards.
Her books span genres such as fiction, poetry and non-fiction, covering themes like Indigenous adoptees navigating the child-welfare system and the legacy of the residential school system. Bird-Wilson was among hundreds of thousands of indigenous children in Canada who were taken by child-welfare workers during what is now called the Sixties Scoop.
As a writer, she understands the process of dedicating time to making art. She has relied on SK Arts for grant funding and found the process of having her peers review and support her work to be validating.
Bird-Wilson previously worked at the Gabriel Dumont Institute, a Métis post-secondary school based in Saskatchewan. She held a variety of roles for more than 25 years, working her way up to CEO in 2021.
Her experience in an executive leadership position serves her well in supporting the arts community, she says.
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“It’s not by chance that I’m here right now,” said Bird-Wilson. “I was very interested in bringing those two experiences and backgrounds and skill sets together into this one job.”
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Part of her work now is building relationships with the arts community and forging partnerships to strengthen funding.
Bird-Wilson is looking to build upon the work already being done to bridge gaps in underserved communities, including Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, newcomer and disabled artists.
SK Arts has already been trying to create awareness for funding available in the province through the Building Arts Equity program, which specifically targets artists who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour.
Since the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its 94 Calls to Action in 2015, Bird-Wilson said there is a greater awareness about the importance of including diverse voices and reflecting on whose art is considered valuable. With a special focus on Indigenous artwork, part of her duties will involve adding items annually to the SK Arts’ permanent collection, which holds more than 4,000 pieces.
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“Everybody has a role to play and come together at the table with these common objectives,” said Bird-Wilson. “And when you pool your resources in that way, you can get more things done.”
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