Everyone say hello to Melissa Johns, one of the talented artists featured in this year’s multidisciplinary visual arts exhibition showcase, tewaká:wes.
Melissa Johns is a new media artist and educator from a mixed Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk, Turtle Clan) and French-Canadian background, born and based in Tkaronto.
Melissa’s visual practice manifests at the convergence of contemporary media, using interdisciplinary methods to collect, preserve, and transform fragments of the stories around her.
Come check out her work at Meridian Arts Centre from July 28 to August 24. Check tolive.com for hours.
[Image description: Promotional graphic for “tewaká:wes – An Indigenous art exhibition” curated by Sierra da Silva-Canadien. It features a portrait of artist Melissa Johns against a forest background. Event details: July 28 – August 24 at the Meridian Arts Centre, The Gallery, 5040 Yonge St., North York. Free to the public. Part of the Upfront Festival of Indigenous Arts, Music and Culture. Presented by TO Live.]
Honoured to be showing work alongside these incredible artists in tewaká:wes — a visual arts exhibition at Meridian Arts Centre that holds space for Indigenous stories, memory, and artistic care.
tewaká:wes, meaning we all paddle in Kanien’kéha, brings together seven Indigenous artists—myself included—to reflect on the power of material, spirit, and relationship. Through beadwork, textiles, photography, and sculpture, we each move with intention to honour land, kin, and the spaces between.
Curated by @sierracanadien 🩵
@catherinebjewellery@fashioncamera@jordyn.hendricks@lemisma@jasonsikoak@raechelwastesicoot@oliviawhetung
#tewakáwes #IndigenousArt #TwoSpiritArtist #TkarontoArts #CulturalResilience #Photography #Beadwork #Textiles #InstallationArt
#flashDRIVEto ft: Melissa Johns @lemisma —> Hope Chest (2025)
Melissa Johns is a multimedia visual artist and educator from a mixed Mohawk/French Canadian background, currently based in Toronto ON.
Melissa’s visual practice manifests at the convergence of contemporary media, using interdisciplinary methods to collect, preserve, and transform fragments of the stories around her. Specializing in virtual reality installations, digital painting, and video art, Melissa’s work centers on investigating the narrative potential of these emergent channels.
Having completed her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts & Business at the University of Waterloo, as well as an Advanced Diploma in 3D Animation from Humber College, she is pursuing a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Art from OCAD University.
Melissa is interested in themes of intimacy, memory, and ephemerality.
Come see me and my work tonight at InterAcess 🦑
flashDRIVE is on May 1-17 2025, and 6 editions of my work are for sale as part of the fundraiser.
@interaccessto
View from my Vernal Equinox Tea Party 🩷
Been doing a lot of running around and very little posting of what I'm actually getting up to, and I'm not really sorry about it 💃
PANEL DISCUSSION | Jesse King, Melissa Johns, Megan Feheley
Moderated by TPW Curator Liz Ikiriko
Saturday, March 1, 2025
2PM-4PM
🗓️ Mark your calendars!
This Saturday, join us for an afternoon panel discussion from 2PM -4PM at Gallery TPW with Jesse King, Melissa Johns & Megan Feheley. The artists will speak on the themes of kinship and reciprocity that are central to their work in “Smoke Signals x Reflections”. ⚡️
We look forward to seeing you there!
“Smoke Signals x Reflections” is curated by Gallery TPW’s Curatorial Research Fellow Jesse King and supported by TD Ready Commitment and the Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts.
4 generations of my family in one frame 📼💕
I'm participating in a roundtable today about archives and thought I'd share this little gem I found while working through some of the many tapes in my possession.
Left to right: Grampa, Great Grampa, Dad, Me 🎀
![Everyone say hello to Melissa Johns, one of the talented artists featured in this year’s multidisciplinary visual arts exhibition showcase, tewaká:wes.Melissa Johns is a new media artist and educator from a mixed Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk, Turtle Clan) and French-Canadian background, born and based in Tkaronto.Melissa’s visual practice manifests at the convergence of contemporary media, using interdisciplinary methods to collect, preserve, and transform fragments of the stories around her.Come check out her work at Meridian Arts Centre from July 28 to August 24. Check tolive.com for hours.[Image description: Promotional graphic for “tewaká:wes – An Indigenous art exhibition” curated by Sierra da Silva-Canadien. It features a portrait of artist Melissa Johns against a forest background. Event details: July 28 – August 24 at the Meridian Arts Centre, The Gallery, 5040 Yonge St., North York. Free to the public. Part of the Upfront Festival of Indigenous Arts, Music and Culture. Presented by TO Live.]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6722381332733848221644_0_5b1d13b4601a6b9f21802845176d2104.jpg?o=aHR0cHM6Ly9zY29udGVudC1vcmQ1LTMuY2RuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS92L3Q1MS44Mjc4Ny0xNS81MzUxNTM2MTBfMTg1MjQyNzk4MjEwMTcyNzFfNjE5MjE2ODI3NzE4NDMyOTE1Ml9uLmpwZz9zdHA9ZHN0LWpwZ19lMzVfczY0MHg2NDBfc2gyLjA4X3R0NiZfbmNfaHQ9c2NvbnRlbnQtb3JkNS0zLmNkbmluc3RhZ3JhbS5jb20mX25jX2NhdD0xMDcmX25jX29jPVE2Y1oyZ0YyZE1Cb196XzJmaE1wclEzUy1TMG5SR0JwUHFZcFlaN0NIYXVPWks2V1pOMld2UmpIbVdHNVk3NFJuRWhyRkVVUGVjcS1uaVJjOFZONWRoYUhpaHA4Jl9uY19vaGM9WTJlci1Sb2dqcXdRN2tOdndHNGVMR1AmX25jX2dpZD1PYkFWQ2Vid29nSDVWcHo3Y3Uza2hBJmVkbT1BUFU4OUZBQkFBQUEmY2NiPTctNSZvaD0wMF9BZjZZOVhYNHZNYUg0RERyOWxmaGFCaUk0WUxVUHd4OFlfb1AyT1NlcWl3NmlRJm9lPTZBMTAyNkJEJl9uY19zaWQ9YmMwYzJj&h=1e18bb643c18e579b0d2f930916e4bd2)
