2026 News
bailey macabre Participates in Too Two-Spirited For You Winter Institute at Plug In ICA
February 9-20, 2026
bailey macabre recently participated in the Too Two-Spirited For You Winter Institute at Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art in Winnipeg, Manitoba, alongside their partner and collaborator Corwin Woiwod. The intensive program brought together an all Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer cohort of artists for a period of learning, creation, and collective exchange, grounded in Indigenous sovereignty, care, and kinship.
Under the mentorship of Adrian Stimson, the Institute offered participants the opportunity to deepen their practices through critical discussion, material exploration, and relationship-building. For macabre, the experience marked an important moment of reinvigoration—both creatively and personally—providing space to reconnect with community while developing new directions in their work.
The Winter Institute emphasized Indigenous-led methodologies, refusal of extractive institutional norms, and the importance of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer presence within contemporary art spaces. Working alongside peers from across so-called Canada, macabre engaged in shared dialogue around identity, survival, humour, grief, and futurity, situating their practice within a broader constellation of Two-Spirit artistic lineages.
Guest mentors Michelle McGeough and Barry Ace offered critical analysis of participants’ work while situating it within broader histories and futurities of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer life in so-called Canada. Each participant engaged in one-on-one conversations with the guest mentors, as well as with Adrian Stimson, and these exchanges further deepened macabre’s artistic focus, inspiration, and sense of possibility.
During the Institute, participants visited the Two-Spirit Archives at the University of Winnipeg and the exhibition Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. macabre formed close connections with their cohort and organized an informal night of bowling as a way of fostering collective care and connection outside of formal programming. While in Winnipeg, they also took part in ice fishing at FortWhyte for Louis Riel Day and spent time with the site’s small herd of buffalo—an experience that left a profound and lasting impression.
They also reconnected with one of their friends and cohort members from the Banff Early Career Artist in Residence program – Natalie Baird – and attended a community raku firing workshop which was hosted at her house. It was a great opportunity for macabre to reconnect with a fellow artist from a previous residency experience.
Participation in the Institute directly informed several new projects currently in development, expanding macabre’s ongoing exploration of material memory, tenderness as political practice, and collective modes of care. The experience further strengthened their commitment to community-based and curatorial work, reinforcing the importance of creating spaces that are relational, accountable, and grounded in Indigenous values.
The residency also affirmed macabre’s practice as deeply intentional and collaborative with their partner, who is a muse, source of support, inspiration, and grounding force. Attending a residency together for the first time underscored how integral Corwin’s presence, knowledge, patience, and guidance are to macabre’s artistic process and way of working.
The Too Two-Spirited For You Winter Institute represents a vital platform for Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer artists to learn from one another while challenging dominant narratives within the contemporary art world. macabre’s participation reflects their continued dedication to practices that honour lineage, resist colonial frameworks, and centre Indigenous ways of being, making, and gathering.
Other participants in the Institute include:
Alejandro Romero
Based in rural Saskatchewan, Alejandro Romero (he/him, they/them) is a multidisciplinary “artivist” whose 35-year practice maneuvers through social interventions, performance, and public art. His work orchestrates an “Architecture of Belonging,” weaving his Puerto Rican heritage with neurodiverse and queer perspectives to reclaim spaces of exclusion. A dedicated Paso Fino horse
conservationist, Alejandro, utilizes ritual and site-specific materiality to transform neglected landscapes into sovereign sanctuaries, bridging the gap between colonial histories and a decolonized future.
Jason Baerg
Jason Baerg (he/him, they/them), a Red River Métis artist from Saskatchewan and a member of the Métis Nations of Ontario, is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and activist. An Assistant Professor at OCAD University, Baerg co-founded The Shushkitew and Métis Artist Collectives. He has exhibited internationally, integrating digital media with traditional art forms, and has received awards from major Canadian arts councils. Baerg holds degrees from Concordia and Rutgers Universities.
Don Ball
Don Ball (he/him, they/them) is a Queer (settler) art educator. He encourages everyone to look at art, and to choose art that informs, expands and deepens one’s thinking. Queer and Indigenous art adds perspective for all, and is essential for 2SLGBTQIA+ folx. His artwork often deals with body, layers, and traces. He lives in an isolated rural place and looks forward to being in this community and creating a safe space.
Lacie Burning
Lacie Burning (he/him) is a multi-disciplinary artist from Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Southern Ontario. He holds a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design and has exhibited across Canada. He was also named First Runner up for the Philip B. Lind Prize and longlisted for the National Gallery’s New Generation Photography award both in 2019 respectively for his work in lens-based media.
Katsitsanoron (Kat) Dumoulin-Bush
Katsitsanoron (Kat) Dumoulin-Bush (they/them, iel/iels) is an Onkwehonwe/Québecois educator, curator, and artist from Oshahrhè:’on, Quebec. They received their BA in linguistics from Concordia University in 2017. As an artist, they have completed residencies at Artexte and The Banff Centre. Kat was the Indigenous art and design curatorial intern at the MMFA in 2025, and is currently an invited guest curator at the MAC. They also serve on the board of directors of the CACPA and MOMENTA biennale.
Kay Nadjiwon
Kay Nadjiwon (they/them) is a queer interdisciplinary Anishinaabe artist and member of Batchewana First Nation currently working on Williams Treaty territory. Their practice spans photography, video, beadwork, sculpture, and installation. Nadjiwon embraces ambiguity as they address the multiplicities of identity, trauma, and desire. Grounded in autoethnography and storytelling, their work situates grief as a site for political engagement and spiritual connection. They hold an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art, Media, and Design from OCAD University and a BFA in Photography Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Justin Bear L’Arrivee
Justin Bear L’Arrivee (he/him, they/them) is a printmaker, new media artist, and curator. He is of mixed Cree and Scottish ancestry from Peguis First Nation (Maternal) and a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation (Paternal). He’s currently the Artistic Director at Urban Shaman Gallery and is a co-founder of the Indigenous DJ collective Nimi’idiwin. Justin is also a co-founder of Red Rising Magazine, worked as an arts facilitator with Art City Inc., Martha Street Studio, and Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad Inc., and served in the community as a support & cultural worker. His practice is firmly rooted in community needs and informed by his work within the social service and artist-run centre sector.
Sylvia Dreaver ᑳᓂᑲᒧᐟ ᐱᔨᓯᐤ
Sylvia Dreaver ᑳᓂᑲᒧᐟ ᐱᔨᓯᐤ (she/her) is Nēhiyaw (Plains Cree) and a member of Mistawasis First Nation. She is a independent curator, arts administrator and cultural worker. Sylvia has had the privilege of working with organizations such as Mentoring Artists for Women’s Arts (MAWA) The Banff Centre and with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR). Dreaver is passionate about Indigenous art as well as Indigenous research methodologies and is committed to the advancement of curatorial research and museological practices related to Indigenous art collections and their associated histories. Dreaver recently held the inaugural position of Emerging Curator of Indigenous Art at the Canadian Museum of History and currently works at The Canada Council for the Arts with the Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Metis and Inuit Peoples team.
Quinton Delorme
Quinton Delorme (he/him, they/them, she/her) is a Cree, Two-Spirit artist from Winnipeg, MB. A band member of Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, they have familial ties in both Treaties 4 and 5. Their interdisciplinary arts practice spans across several mediums, including linocut relief print, screen print, etching, acrylic paint, ink and collage. Their work explores themes of an Urban Indigenous experience, through traditional and contemporary techniques. Their identity informs their artistic practice, worldview and presence in the arts.
bailey macabre Featured in Cyanotype at VMOTA, Their First International Exhibition
bailey macabre is among the artists featured in Cyanotype, a group exhibition at the Visions Museum of Textile Art (VMOTA) in San Diego, California, running February 14 – June 20, 2026. This marks macabre’s first international exhibition, highlighting their work to a new audience in the United States.
The exhibition brings together contemporary artists exploring the cyanotype process, a historic photographic technique known for its deep blue imagery, reimagined here in textile and mixed-media contexts. macabre’s contributions engage with the cyanotype medium to weave personal and cultural narratives into evocative textile-based forms, examining themes of memory, identity, and materiality.
Cyanotype highlights the innovative ways contemporary artists expand on traditional processes, inviting audiences to experience both the visual and tactile qualities of the works. More information about the exhibition can be found on VMOTA’s website.
bailey macabre Selected for City of Nanaimo’s 2026–2028 Urban Design Roster
bailey macabre has been selected as part of the City of Nanaimo’s 2026–2028 Urban Design Roster, a professional pool of artists, designers, and cultural practitioners invited to contribute to public art and cultural design projects shaping the city’s public spaces.
The Urban Design Roster program supports Nanaimo’s growing commitment to integrating community‑engaged art and design into parks, streetscapes, and civic amenities. macabre’s inclusion reflects their dedication to dynamic public engagement, interdisciplinary practice, and creative approaches to place‑based art.
“Being named to the Urban Design Roster is an honour,” macabre says. “I look forward to collaborating with the City and community partners to support thoughtful, accessible, and meaningful public design initiatives.”
The roster will be considered for a range of future projects that activate public spaces through artistic and cultural expression, enhancing community identity and collective experience. More information about the Urban Design Roster program is available on the City of Nanaimo website.
2025 News
bailey macabre Contributes Cover Artwork to Room Magazine’s Wits End Issue
bailey macabre’s artwork is featured on the cover of Room Magazine’s Wits End (Vol. 48.1), a recent issue of the award‑winning Canadian feminist literary and visual arts publication. The cover image reflects macabre’s signature engagement with material, mood, and metaphor, setting the visual tone for this issue’s exploration of creative boundaries and contemporary expression.
Room Magazine is known for its commitment to amplifying diverse voices in writing and art, and macabre’s involvement marks a meaningful collaboration with one of Canada’s most respected arts journals.
This collaboration was initiated by the ever talented Jane Shi, whom bailey is honoured to know and grateful for the experience.
The Wits End issue is available through Room Magazine’s website and in print. More information can be found at roommagazine.com.
bailey macabre Creates Community Illustration for Loaves & Fishes Food Bank
bailey macabre designed a large-scale illustration for a semi-truck operated by Loaves & Fishes Community Foodbank in Nanaimo, BC. The artwork centers on themes of food sovereignty and celebrates Indigenous communities on Vancouver Island, bringing visibility and cultural context to the foodbank’s work in the region.
The illustration transforms the vehicle into a moving piece of public art, creating a conversation around sustainable food systems, local stewardship, and the importance of culturally relevant food access.
The project highlights the intersection of art, activism, and public service, allowing macabre’s work to reach a broad audience while supporting a local organization committed to equitable food access.
bailey macabre Contributes Illustrations to Queers at the Table
bailey macabre contributed artwork to Queers at the Table, a publication by Megan J. Elias and Alex Ketchum exploring 2SLGBTQIA+ food culture, intimacy, and community. The contribution includes an illustration of Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman‘s sweet potato cake and an eight-page comic titled Feeding Intimacy, which examines how food can foster intimacy, safety, creativity, and sexuality in queer relationships.
This project emerged from the 2024 Queer Food Conference and highlights macabre’s ongoing engagement with themes of community, nourishment, and queer relationality. The work was recently presented in an artist talk, providing an opportunity to discuss the intersections of food, art, and queer experience with a wider audience.
Queers at the Table was published by Arsenal Pulp Press and is available for purchase here. macabre’s contributions offer both visual and narrative perspectives on the cultural and personal significance of food within 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
bailey macabre Completes Early Career Winter Residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
In February 2025, bailey macabre participated in the Early Career Winter Residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, an intensive five-week program supporting emerging artists across disciplines. During this time, macabre finalized a two-year installation project while also developing several new bodies of work, benefiting from a rare period of focus and momentum.
The residency offered both creative acceleration and personal challenge: the work was physically and emotionally demanding, and much of the remainder of the year was spent resting, integrating experiences, and allowing ideas to settle. Through this reflective period, macabre was able to consolidate years of practice, bringing multiple strands of their work together in a culmination of their ongoing artistic exploration.
Mentorship played a vital role in the residency experience. macabre worked closely with Sean Lee of Tangled Art + Disability and Althea Thauberger, engaging in thoughtful discussions that enriched both process and perspective. The residency also fostered meaningful connections with fellow artists, including long-time internet friend Jordan Waunch, as well as Nathaniel Arcand and Drew Hayden Taylor.
“The residency offered the rare space to bring a long-term project to completion while exploring new ideas and building connections,” macabre reflects. “It was intense, but also deeply rewarding — a period of both creation and reflection that has continued to inform my practice throughout the year.”
The Early Career Winter Residency at Banff Centre remains a formative experience for macabre, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, community, and dedicated creative time in the development of contemporary interdisciplinary art.
Other participants in the cohort include:
Nora Rosenthal (she/her)
Theodore Walker Robinson (they/them)
B. Brookbank (they/he)
Danan Lake (he/him)
Ice Fredericks (she/her)
Natalie Baird (she/her)
Garush Melkonyan (he/him)
Natalie King (she/her)
Nora de Mariaffi (she/her)
Ali Vanderkruyk (she/her/they/them)
andi icaza-largaespada (they/them)
Erin Roundsky (she/her)
Amanda Blake (she/her)
Sophia Berman (she/her)
Pedram Sazesh (he/him)
Kimberly Fulton Orozco (she/her)
Bomi Yook (she/her)
bailey macabre Participates in Luminous Paths, an Award‑Winning Public Art Festival in Nanaimo
In January–February 2025, bailey macabre was among the artists invited to contribute to Luminous Paths: Nanaimo’s 150 & Beyond, a free winter public art festival presented by the City of Nanaimo. The festival transformed Maffeo Sutton Park into an immersive outdoor exhibition of light‑based installations, performances, and interactive public artworks celebrating community, creativity, and place during the city’s 150th anniversary year.
macabre’s installation yahkikiw (they push forward in growth) was featured alongside works by other local and regional artists, bringing themes of growth, identity, and multifaceted existence into the illuminated winter landscape.
Luminous Paths attracted more than 18,000 visitors over its four‑week run and was recognized with the 2025 Creative City Impact Award for Cultural Events by the Creative City Network of Canada, honoring its contribution to community connection, cultural celebration, and placemaking through public art.
The success of Luminous Paths underscores the role of arts and culture in fostering community connection, shared experience, and creative expression in public environments.