It is with regret and sadness that we pass on the news that our National Spokesperson, Mike MacDonald, passed away on Monday, July 17th in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Born in 1941 in Sydney, NS, Mike MacDonald was a Canadian multi-media artist working in video, photography, installation and on the internet.
Principally self-taught, MacDonald meticulously explored the interdependence of migrating butterflies. He planted gardens using traditional native medicine plants to attract butterflies and create healing environments. He created more than twenty site-specific gardens on the grounds of galleries and museums across Canada.
In October 2000 MacDonald received the first Aboriginal Achievement Award for New Media based on his essay “Indians in Cyberspace” and his “Butterfly Garden” web site. He was proud of his mixed heritage including Mi’kmaq, Beothuck and European ancestry.
In 1994, he was presented with the Vancouver Institute for the Visual Arts (VIVA) award, founded by Jack and Doris Shadbolt, for outstanding contribution to the arts in British Columbia.
His art is exhibited extensively in Canada and the United States and has been included in several exhibitions in Europe.
There will be a celebration of Mike’s life and work at the Mi’kmaq Friendship Centre, 2158 Gottingen St., Halifax, NS, on Friday, 21 July between 2 pm and 4 pm.
Source:
Catherine Sinclair, Administrative Officer, CARFAC National
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