Best of CASE District I Award
 

Institution: Concordia University

Title of entry: Kent Monkman and Gisèle Gordon in Conversation

About this entry: Kent Monkman, a renowned Indigenous artist, was invited by Concordia University to give a public lecture that coincided with the launch of his new book, “The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island” (2023; Penguin Random House Canada). The lecture and book reading focused on Monkman’s genre-defying work, which blends history with fiction. It was co-written by his longtime collaborator, Gisèle Gordon, to reinterpret the official history of North America from the perspective of Monkman’s alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, a muse of his artworks, including paintings.

The November 20, 2023, event featured a drag performance by Monkman, as well as a moderated conversation between three artists and a book sale. Through this event, we engaged the publisher, the artists, Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts, and University Advancement. Due to campus venues being booked with student exams, the event was held at the off-campus auditorium Grande Bibliothèque de Montréal. Tickets were $10 per person (with free admission for students) and sold out within 24 hours. We received positive feedback from our audience: alumni, faculty, staff, students, donors and friends.