Maggie Thompson (artist) explained

Maggie Thompson is a Native American textile artist and designer from the Fond du Lac Ojibwe with a focus on "knitwear and tapestry".[1] Her work focuses on her heritage and identity and also addresses cultural appropriation and Native authenticity. She is the director of the Two Rivers Gallery in Minneapolis,[2]

Thompson incorporates multimedia elements into her pieces, such as photographs, beer caps, and 3-D printed designs. She weaves Ojibwe designs into her work to represent her Native heritage. She lives in Minneapolis and owns Makwa Studio, a small knitwear business.

Biography

Catherine "Maggie" Thompson[3] was born in October 1989 into the Fond du Lac Ojibwe in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her father was a graphic designer of Fond du Lac Ojibwe heritage and her mother is a painter and photographer of Irish and German heritage.[4] [5] She has stated that her mixed heritage made it hard to find her identity, as she found it difficult to fit in with others around her.[6] She enjoyed skateboarding and rollerskating during her youth, which had an impact on her art.[7] Thompson studied architecture in college, but was introduced to the textile program there during her fourth year, where she "fell in love with fibers." She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2013.

The following year Thompson's father died; he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after experiencing a seizure. His death inspired her to create artwork such as the Body Bag project. Her father and mother were her biggest inspirations, along with her close friend Jacob Riley Wasserman.[8] Thompson has stated that Wasserman, who attended college with her at the Rhode Island School of Design, taught her "the true meaning of what love can be in a friendship".

Thompson believes that she can tell a story from her artwork and wants her audience to understand the narrative from the "symbolism objects and possible phrasing that are found within her work". Thompson is also "challenging limitations of what 'native art' should or should not be" with her work.[9] In 2014 Thompson founded Makwa Studio, named after the Ojibwe word for bear, which represents her father's clan, and creates knitwear suitable to be worn by non-Native Americans.[10]

Artworks

Exhibitions and collections

Thompson has a few pieces that are in the permanent collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. Her works have also been part of exhibitions at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis Institute of Art (2015), and the Plains Art Museum (2015). She has also exhibited at the following locations:

In 2023,

Honors and awards

In 2015 Thompson received the NACF Regional Artist Fellowship as well as the Minnesota State Arts Board Cultural Community Partnership Grant.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Makwa Studio by MakwaStudio. Etsy. en-US. 2020-03-08.
  2. Web site: Maggie Thompson. Linkedin.
  3. Web site: IAIA A-i-R: Marcus, Wilson, Redeye, Thompson, and Pitt—Open Studio > Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). en-US. 2020-03-08.
  4. Web site: Maggie Thompson weaves together her Indian identity in 'Where I Fit'. Combs. Marianne. State of the Arts. 14 March 2014 . en-US. 2020-02-16.
  5. Web site: Maggie Thompson. MN Original/YouTube.
  6. Web site: Bridging the Gap: Maggie Thompson uses art to navigate a contemporary Native American identity. Sauer. Lauren. 2019-03-26. Growler Magazine. en-US. 2020-02-17.
  7. Web site: Five Things You Should Know About Maggie Thompson. 2018-04-01. Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association - NEMAA. en-US. 2020-02-18.
  8. Web site: Jewelry & Accessory Makers Mart Featured Artist: Maggie Thompson. walkerart.org. en-US. 2020-02-18.
  9. Web site: Maggie Thompson's Makwa Studio. 2016-02-18. COOL HUNTING. en-US. 2020-03-08.
  10. Web site: Makwa Studio. American Craft Council. en. 2020-02-18.
  11. Web site: Family Portrait, Maggie Thompson ^ Minneapolis Institute of Art. collections.artsmia.org. 2020-02-18.
  12. Web site: Will current blood quantum membership requirements make American Indians extinct?. blog.nmai.si.edu. 2020-02-17.
  13. Web site: Artists weave their stories into textiles at two Minneapolis galleries.. Star Tribune. 2020-03-08.
  14. Web site: room:"G261a" Minneapolis Institute of Art. collections.artsmia.org. 2020-02-17.
  15. News: 'For love alone' - Albert Lea Tribune. 2019-09-10. Albert Lea Tribune. 2020-02-17. en-US.
  16. Web site: Assumption on RISD Portfolios. portfolios.risd.edu. May 2013 . 2020-02-18.
  17. Web site: Weaving: Process and Practice – Minnesota Museum of American Art. en-US. 2020-02-18.
  18. Web site: Where I Fit. All My Relations Arts. en-US. 2020-03-08.
  19. Web site: Ault . Alicia . Six Native Artists and Their Works Receive Major Recognition . 23 January 2023.