Olivia Golosky
Month of the Artist celebrates the valuable contributions artists make to Alberta
A proud Métis, Olivia Golosky is a two-spirit artist from Treaty 8, Fort McMurray. Her background is in theatre, film, radio, and music festival production as a production manager, and is a producer, technician, and playwright/screenwriter.
Follow her on Twitter at @0liv3_Mari3 and on Instagram at @niteridefilm.
What city ward do you live in?
Ward 7.
How do you describe yourself as an artist?
As someone who is from Nistawâyâw (Treaty 8, Fort McMurray) living in Mohkínstsis and as a two-spirit Métis, I center my work on my lived experiences of liminal living. I am a filmmaker, producer, and writer. In these mediums, I focus on speaking to the Northern Albertan Métis diaspora.
Showcasing the resiliency, intersectionality, and decolonial self-love that is at the core of QT2SBIPOC urban survival is also pivotal in my work. There is often a theme of attempting to overcome a deep sense of loss that I explore that ties itself back to the loss of my home to colonial petrol-imperialism and the loss of self through trauma.
What does living a creative life mean to you?
It means having the ability to create while not having to sacrifice your integrity and values to have your work shown and being able to uplift your community with your work.
What do you love about Calgary and what is one place you go to find inspiration in Calgary?
I find inspiration in my fellow QT2SBIPOC friends and chosen family who continue to thrive and take up space despite the colonial structures that oppress and silence us.
If you could do one thing this year to make Calgary a better place to live, what would it be?
Make more space for two-spirit, trans, and queer Indigenous folkx to see themselves represented in art and in critical positions behind the scenes as administrators, directors, curators, members of boards, technicians, etc…
What piece of advice would you give to an emerging artist?
Find a community of people where you don’t feel like you have to compromise your values or integrity to be able to create. It’s okay to say no. There will always be more work and you will always be able to create.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently in pre-production for a narrative short film, working on a zine about being a Métis person with PTSD, and in post-production for my short Grindhouse film, Nite Ride.
About Alberta’s Month of the Artist
September is the Month of the Artist in Alberta, an annual celebration of artists and the value they bring to the province, both socially and economically.
Dedicated by the Government of Alberta, the Month of the Artist is a way to say thank you for making the province a better place to live.
Calgary Arts Development is pleased to share the stories of artists who choose to live and work in Calgary.
Have a story to share? Email us at submissions@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.