Cathy Mattes

Cathy Mattes is an Associate Professor in History of Art at the University of Winnipeg with adjunct faculty status in Graduate Studies at OCAD University. Previously, she taught Gender and Women Studies at Brandon University and art history in the Department of Visual Art at the University of Winnipeg.

Education:

• PhD in Indigenous Studies, University of Manitoba

Mattes' research centers on Indigenous knowledge-centered curatorial practice and transpedagogy as care strategies. Her work critically examines contemporary Métis and First Nations art histories, Indigenous curatorial pedagogies emphasizing relationality, gender-focused art activism, and decolonization/Indigenization of Western art histories and academic systems. She integrates beadwork practice and Southern Michif language learning into her scholarly framework.

Her publication trajectory (2003-2021) reveals consistent focus on Indigenous sovereignty in curation, with recent works exploring Métis beadwork as methodology and Indigenous littoral curation. Early publications established foundations in artist monographs and exhibition documentation, evolving toward structural critiques of academia and decolonial exhibition frameworks. Key themes include knowledge transmission through kitchen-table methodologies, visual rhetoric in Indigenous art, and institutional accountability.

Scientific Awards: No awards or fellowships were specified in source materials.

Advising and Grants: Mattes has mentored over 15 times in formal programs for students, emerging curators, and artists. While specific grants aren't itemized, her extensive curatorial projects (50+ exhibitions) and publications imply substantial research funding acquisition. She leads workshops in beadwork, moccasin-making, Indigenous research methodologies, and grant writing.

Labs and Teams: She serves on the Indigenous Advisory Council for the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Advisory Council for the Indigenous Curatorial Collective, and Urban Shaman Gallery board. Her collaborative projects like Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth and Radical Stitch involve partnerships with Sherry Farrell Racette and Michelle Lavallee, operating at the intersection of museum practice, community engagement, and Indigenous knowledge systems.