ELINOR WHIDDEN

Elinor Whidden would like to produce a project titled Steel Belted Snowshoes during the Walking and Art residency.  She has fashioned a pair of giant snowshoes made from shredded tires gleaned from the side of the roadways.  Ms. Whidden proposes to wear these snowshoes in Banff while walking in the surrounding wilderness documenting through video and photographic mediums.  She would like to create a dialogue that epitomizes the image of “The Western Frontier.”  The Rocky Mountains is a perfect site to continue her exploration of finding a way to survive and readapt in a society that is increasingly threatened by contemporary car-culture.

Artist biography: Elinor Whidden received her Bachelor of Art in Canadian/Environmental from Trent University and a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.  Ms. Whidden obtained her Master of Fine Art from SUNY at the State University of New York in Buffalo in 2007.  She has exhibited throughout Canada, recently showing in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta.  In 2004, she was featured as an emerging artist on Zed TV.  Ms. Whidden is also the recipient of numerous grants and awards most notably the Nova Scotia Talent and Trust Award.  This summer Portage: Ford Taurus will be part of an international sculpture exhibition at the Omi International Arts Center near Albany, New York.