Artist
“Affirming feminist ideas of bodily dimensions of knowledge and the ethics of care as social praxis, my creative practice explores ritual and witnessing as a process for reasserting social connectedness and collective memory, and as a means to transcend suffering and dehumanizing experiences.I have always been interested in art as a healing agent and I believe through performance, ritual and witnessing we have the opportunity to tell our stories, open ourselves up to healing and journey towards wholeness.”
- Sharon Alward
Sharon Alward is a Canadian video and performance artist. Cited as one of the 100 most influential and innovative Canadians in MacLean’s magazine for her work as a Canadian artist, her creative works reference performance, installation and ritual as potential sites for creativity and transformation.
Actively involved in both art and social justice issues in the Winnipeg Community since 1986 and after a teaching, creative and service career than spanned over 34 years, Alward retired as a Full Professor of the University of Manitoba, School of Art. In 2024 Professor Alward was given the distinct honour of being appointed Professor Emerita of the University of Manitoba.
Professor Alward is also a Senior Fellow (retired) of St. John’s College and served as Curator of the College for over a decade. As a Lector and Administrant for the Anglican Church, Diocese of Rupert's Land, she also served as an Administrant for the Chapel.
Alward’s creative works explore issues related to postmodern religious thought. Through her performances she invites her audiences to question dualistic thinking and to experience a bodily dimension of knowledge. Her research questions the metaphysical, moral and epistemological role of the contemporary artist through the use of ritual symbolism. Her interdisciplinary investigation into art and religious thought is focused on the performative body.
Alward’s creative works have been exhibited throughout Canada, the U.S., U.K., France, Spain and the Netherlands, including the Liverpool Tracey Biennial, LACE in Los Angeles, the American Film Institute, Western Front, and the National Screen Institute, La Maison Rouge and the Musée International des Arts Modestes, France and the National Arts Centre. She was nominated for an Art Pace Fellowship and a Blizzard Award for best Experimental Film.
Alward has served on numerous Video and Film Juries for the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Arts Council, and The Canada Council. She has served a Director on several boards including the Manitoba Arts Council Film and Video Advisory Board, The Canada Council Steering Committee for Performance Art and Interdisciplinary Grants Review, Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art, (MAWA), Video Pool, Ace Art, and Adhere and Deny.
Actively involved in both art and social justice issues in the Winnipeg Community since 1986, as part of her Magdalene Project SSHRC Grant she implemented a volunteer art program at a drop-in house, medical center and satellite food bank for at-risk women, girls and non-binary sex workers. Situated on Argyle street in the “low- track” section of Winnipeg the house was called P.O.W.E.R (for Prostitution and Other Workers for Equal Rights). As well as creating the volunteer art program Alward remained an outreach volunteer at POWER through the Anglican Church, for 8 years.
Alward also created a position and was the first Artist-in-Residence and teacher/mentor at TERF (Training and Employment Resources for Females) for 13-17 year old girls transitioning from life on the streets. She was also an Executive Director and founding member along with Dr George Swinton of the New Delta Artists Foundation (N-DAF), a registered non-profit organization to assist artists financially at inopportune periods during their career when due to unforeseen or unforeseeable circumstances they were unable to support themselves and/or procure art materials. As well, Alward served as a mentor for the Foundation Mentorship program at Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA).