Kara Sievewright is an artist and writer who mainly creates poetic and social justice themed comics and illustrations. She has published writing, illustrations and comics in many magazines and anthologies including kuš!, carte blanche, World War Three Illustrated, Descant, Briarpatch, filling Station, and more. She recently illustrated a graphic non-fiction book with Between the Lines and is working on her own graphic novel.
She is a member of the Graphic History Collective where she has helped to create the Remember | Resist | Redraw radical poster project. She is also a graphic designer and graphic recorder and you can see more of her work at netmakerdesigns.ca.
She lives in Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii as a settler on unceded Haida homelands.
Selected CV
Publications
2018 Direction Action Gets the Goods with the Graphic History Collective, Between the Lines: Toronto, ON.
2017 Books without Bosses: Forty Years of Reading Between the Lines, with Robert Clarke, Between the Lines: Toronto, ON.
2016 “Saltblue,” Drunken Boat, Fall 2016, San Francisco, CA.
2016 “Queer in Common Country,” The Remedy. Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver, BC.
2016 “Bill Williamson,” Drawn to Change. Between the Lines, Toronto, ON.
2015 “Salvage,” The Humber Literary Review. Fall/Winter 2015. Toronto, ON.
2014 “The Clam Diggers,” Plenitude. Fall 2014. Vancouver, BC.
2014 “The Green Ghosts,” Cicada Magazine. July/August 2014. Chicago, IL.
2014 “The Crab Catchers,” Descant 148: Graphic Literature Issue. Toronto, ON.
2014 “Driftwood,” Briarpatch, March/April 2014.
2014 “Queen Charlotte: 53 15 21N 132 5 15 W,” Villages, š! #16. kuš!: Riga, Latvia.
2013 “Cicadas, “ Adventures in Comics: The Great Tree. Marine Studios: Margate, UK.
2013 “The Black Current, “ filling Station V.44. Calgary, AB.
2012 “Paper Birds,” AltCom 2012: No Borders Anthology. Swedish Comics Association: Malmö, Sweden.
2012 “The Bagged Place,” Silence 2012. Ligatura, Centrala: Poznań, Poland.
2012 “The Wrecked Woman,” carte blanche V.15. Montreal, QC.
2011 “The Beautiful Storm Has Come,” World War Three Illustrated V.42. New York, US.
2007 “Moveable Types,” Amphora Magazine V.145. Vancouver, BC.
2005 “The Golden Egg,” Front and Centre Magazine V.13. Ottawa, ON.
2004 A Small Shimmer of Things, Heavenly Monkey Press: Vancouver, BC.
2004 “Woodsquat” and “Tentcity,” West Coast Line V.37. Vancouver, BC.
2004 The Girl with the Mask of a Crow and Other Stories, Heavenly Monkey Press: Vancouver, BC.
2003 “In the Forest . . . The Children,” Rising to a Tension: Book 2 Tendril Anthology Series, Cumulus Press: Montreal, QC.
2002 “Until the Next War,” Broken Pencil V.19. Toronto, ON.
2002 “The bruises on my thigh are shaped like a map of Italy,” Broken Pencil V.18. Toronto, ON.
Zines/Artist Books
2015 A Tide Table
2013 The Crab Catchers
2013 The Lonely Willow Tree
2011 The Wrecked Woman
2011 A Beautiful Storm Has Come
2010 The Ghost Ships
2004 The Pigeon Lady
2002 The City of Birds
Solo Exhibitions
2015 La Galleria D’Arte Miranda Gallery, Ravenna, Italy
Group Exhibitions
2016 Draw the Line! Graphic Histories of Work, Struggle and Activism, Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, Hamilton, ON, curated by Tara Bursey.
2016 TSG: Come Together, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, ON, curated by Syrus Ware.
2016 Sick, Haida Gwaii Museum, Ḵay LInagaay, Haida Gwaii, BC, curated by Nika Collinson and Caroline Schooner.
2015 Xaayda Hub Art Show, Xaayda Hub, Skidegate, Haida Gwaii
2015 All Island Art Show, Haida Gwaii Museum, Kay Llnagaay, Haida Gwaii
2014 Educate! Illustrate! Organize! Working-class and Labour History Through Comics, Cumberland Museum and Archives, Cumberland, BC, curated by Robin Folvik and the Cumberland Museum.
2014 The Last Match, Videofag, Toronto, Ontario
2014 All Island Art Show, Haida Gwaii Museum, Kay Llnagaay, Haida Gwaii
2013 Adventures in Comics, Marine Studios, Margate, England
2012 Paper Gaché Exhibition of Fanzines and Self-published Books, Marguerite Duras
Public Library, Paris, France
2012 Silence Exhibition, Ligatura International Comics Festival, Poznań, Poland
2011 Tahir, Sixth Street Center, New York, NY
2011 Toronto Draws, Steamwhistle Gallery, Toronto, ON
2011 Underground, Woman-Made Gallery, Chicago, IL, curated by Ruby Thorkelson.
2011 (Proud) City: Propositions for Future LGBTTIQQ2S Activism in Toronto, Toronto School of Art, Toronto, ON, curated by Syrus Ware.
2010 The Ghost Ships, Rhizome, Vancouver, BC
2009 One Hot Inch Action, W2 Perel Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2006 Book Forms, Emily Carr Concourse Gallery, Vancouver, BC, curated by Owen Plummer.
2002 – 2004 Projet Mobilivre Bookmobile, International travelling exhibit
Festivals
2018 Alaska Robotics Mini-Con, Juneau, Alaska
2017 Sketching in Practice, Vancouver, BC
2017 Comics and Medicine Conference, Seattle, Washington
2015 Komikazen International Reality Comics Festival, Ravenna, Italy
2015 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Toronto Public Library, Toronto, ON
2014 Culture Days, Haida Gwaii Museum, Kay Llnagaay, Haida Gwaii
2013 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Toronto Public Library, Toronto, ON
2012 Expozine, Eglise St-Enfant, Montreal, ON
2012 Canzine, Bathurst Centre, Toronto, ON
2012 Zine Dream, Tranzac, Toronto, ON
2012 Vancouver Comic Arts Festival, Roundhouse Centre, Vancouver, BC
2012 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Toronto Public Library, Toronto, ON
2011 OCADU Art Book Fair, OCADU, Toronto, ON
2011 Expozine, Eglise St-Enfant, Montreal, QC
2011 Canzine, Bathurst Centre, Toronto, ON
2011 Chicago Zine Festival, Columbia College, Chicago, IL
Grants and Awards
2018 Gwaii Trust Workshop Grant
2015 Gwaii Trust Arts Grant
2014 “The Black Current,” Nominated for an Alberta Magazine Award
2013 Writers’ Reserve Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2013 Writers’ Work in Progress Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2012 Writers Grant, Toronto Arts Council
2012 “The Bagged Place,” short listed for Silence Competition, Ligatura International Comics Culture Festival, Poland
2011 The Wrecked Woman, short listed for best English zine at Expozine, Montreal
2005 Graduate Entrance Award, University of British Columbia
Workshops and Presentations
2017 Workshop, “Developing our Radical Imaginations,” Sketching in Practice, Vancouver, BC
2017 Reading, “Cancer is Common Country,” Graphic Medicine Conference, Seattle, WA
2016 Reading, “The Remedy,” Wise Hall, Vancouver, BC
2016 Artist Talk, “Drawn to Change: Working-Class History as Activist Storytelling,” Canada Historical Association, Congress 2016, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
2016 Workshop, “Comics in the Classroom,” Douglas College, New Westminister, BC2015 “Graphic Journalism,” panel discussion at the 2015 Komikazen International Reality Comics Festival
2015 “Introduction to Comics and Graphic Storytelling,” one day workshop for kids, Haida Gwaii All Island Youth Art Show, Port Clements, Haida Gwaii
2015 ReVerb Reading, Gallery Gache, Vancouver, BC
2014 “Introduction to Screenprinting,” Sun Studio, Queen Charlotte, Haida Gwaii
2014 “Introduction to Comics and Graphic Storytelling,” two day workshop for kids, youth and adults, Haida Gwaii Film Festival, Queen Charlotte, Haida Gwaii
2013 “Chilkoot Artist Residency Artist Talk”, The Old Fire Hall | Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse, YK
2013 “The Trail: Comic Jam Workshops,” Junior Ranger Station: Skagway, Alaska; Sheep Camp, Alaska; Lindeman City, BC; The Old Fire Hall, Whitehorse, YK
2012 “Autobiographical Comic Workshop” with the AGO Youth Council, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON
Residencies
October 2019 Mothra, Artscape Gibraltar Point, Toronto Island
March 2018 Writer’s Residency, Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity, Banff, Treaty 7 territory
July 2017 Artist in Residence at Laskeek Bay Conservation Society, Laskeek Bay, Haida Gwaii
August 2013 Chilkoot Trail Art Residency, Yukon Arts Centre/Parks Canada/US Parks Service, Yukon/BC/Alaska
May 2013 Artscape Gibraltar Point, Toronto Island, Ontario
October 2012 Sparkbox Studio, Picton, Ontario
Media
“Artists and Grizzlies — In Residence on the Gold-Rush Trail” Galleries West Magazine, Summer 2014.
“Go Look: Kara Sievewright“, Comics Reporter, April 10, 2014.