About

About the Artist

Allison Tunis (she/they) is a visual artist living and working as a settler on Treaty 6 territory, in amiswaciwâskahikan (Edmonton). Allison uses her education in visual arts and art therapy, combined with her personal experiences as a community organizer and self-advocate to explore themes of personal and community healing through the art creation process. They also look to challenge norms and expectations around marginalized bodies – with a specific focus on queer, fat, neurodivergent, and disabled experiences. Tunis aims to reimagine art materials, techniques, and collaborative processes in ways that reduce barriers and harm, while contributing to critical conversation within and beyond traditional art spaces about accessibility, intersectionality, social justice, and strengths-based theory.

Allison is a recipient of the Edmonton Artist Trust award (2018) and the Alberta Craft Council Early Achievement award (2018), and was the 2018/2019 artist-in-residence at Harcourt House Artist-Run Centre. Currently, she is working on a large collaborative series focusing on chronic illness and personal identity.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

D.V.A.T.I.         Graduate Diploma in Art Therapy, Vancouver Art Therapy Institute 2014
B.F.A.              Bachelor of Fine Arts, Department of Art and Design, University of Alberta 2008

Recent Solo Exhibitions
Untitled Collaborative Chronic Illness Project (upcoming October – December) 2023
McMullen Gallery, Edmonton, AB.
An Anthology of Sticks & Stones, Harcourt House Artist-in-Residence Final Exhibition 2019
Harcourt House Main Gallery, Edmonton, AB.
Acceptable Bodies   2018
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward, Calgary, AB.
Alberta Craft Council Discovery Gallery, Edmonton, AB.

Recent Group Exhibitions
Schmoozy Show and Sale 2022, curated by Latitude 53, Edmonton, AB. (upcoming) 2022
Art From Here II, digital exhibition, a collaboration between Latitude 53, The Mitchell Art Gallery, Ociciwan 2021
Contemporary Art Collective & SNAP Gallery, Edmonton, AB. (upcoming)
Making a Career in Craft, curated by the Alberta Craft Council, Alberta Craft Gallery, Edmonton, AB. 2020
Alberta Craft Gallery. cSPACE Kin Edward, Calgary, AB. 2020
Women X Women, curated by X. Isbister, Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Art Gallery of Alberta’s 2019-21
Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX), Various locations, AB.
Real Women, curated by S. Golby, Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Art Gallery of Alberta’s Travelling 2019-21
Exhibition Program (TREX) Various locations, AB.
Fat Tuesday series, curated by J. Murwin, digital exhibition, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. 2019
>7, curated by A. Kleinhans, 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL, USA. 2019

Collections
Little Bear, acquired by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Public Collection 2018
Sam, acquired by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Public Collection 2018
Various Private Collections internationally

Commissions
The Paths We Forge, series of seven embroidery pieces for the Calgary YW Hub Facility, 2019
curated by M. LaViolette, Calgary, AB.

Residencies
Harcourt House Artist Run Centre, Edmonton, AB., 1-year term 2018-19
Youth Empowerment & Support Services (YESS), 8-month term 2017
Funded by the Edmonton Arts Council and Youth Empowerment & Support Services.

Awards
Edmonton Artist Trust Fund Award, awarded by the Edmonton Arts Council 2018
Alberta Craft Council Early Achievement Award, awarded by the Alberta Craft Council 2018

Publications
Tunis, Allison. “Letting Lived Experience Lead”, Currently Untitled Community Art Therapy Textbook, 2023
by Dr. Emily Nolan, Syracuse University. (upcoming)
Tunis, Allison. Body Love: A Fat Activism Colouring Book, n.p.: n.p., CreateSpace. 2016
Prain, Leanne. Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery, Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver, BC. 2011

Lectures, Symposia & Workshops
Craft as Therapy, facilitator and creator, part of the Monday Meet-Up webinar series, Alberta Craft Council 2020
Create, Collaborate, Connect Symposium, guest artist and speaker, Art Gallery of Alberta 2018
Body Liberation: A Body Positive Workshop, facilitator, Alberta Sex Positive Education & Community Centre 2018

Selected Media and Bibliography
Untitled Reflections: A Response to Allison Tunis’ “Untitled Chronic Illness Project”, by Zoë Schneider, 2021
Art From Here. https://www.artfromhere.ca/writing-archive/untitled-reflections-zo-schneider-on-allison-tunis
Allison Tunis, Artist – Edmonton, Akimbo Hit List, Akimblog. 2019
https://akimbo.ca/akimblog/allison-tunis-artist-edmonton/
Alberta Artist Profile: Allison Tunis, Alberta Foundation for the Arts. 2019
https://www.affta.ab.ca/news/alberta-artist-profile-allison-tunis
Fat Activism Part 1, Adamant Eve podcast hosted by Lisa Pruden and Rose-Eva Forgues-Jenkins. 2019
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fat-activism-part-1/id574534477?i=1000456243380
Body Love: A Fat Activism Colouring Book (feat. Allison Tunis), The F-Word Podcast 2018
https://thefwordpodcast.org/22-body-love-fat-activism-colouring-book-feat-allison-tunis/
Candy Perfume Girl: Colouring in Fat Bodies, FKW// Zeitschrift Fur Geschlecterforschung 2017 Und Visuelle Kultur, no.62, https://www.fkw-journal.de/index.php/fkw/article/view/1403
Body Positive Coloring Book Uses Art to Challenge Weight Based Stigma, Mashable.com 2016
http://mashable.com/2016/08/27/fat-activism-coloring-book/
Edmonton Artist Allison Tunis Raises Awareness with Body Love: A Fat Activism Colouring Book, Vue Weekly 2016
http://www.vueweekly.com/edmonton-artist-allison-tunis-raises-awareness-with-body-love-a-fat-activism-colouring-book/

This business operates on Treaty 6 territory, traditional home to many diverse Indigenous peoples including nêhiyaw/Cree, Dené, Anishinaabe/ Saulteaux, Nakota Isga/Nakota Sioux, Niitsitapi/Blackfoot, and Métis’ peoples. The artist acknowledges their own identity and impact as a settler-colonist, and strives to invest in and support Indigenous rights, arts, and culture individually and collectively.