profile

 

My artistic and teaching practices are grounded in the notion that art has the potential to connect people with their place. By observing their surroundings and practicing an art medium, one can tune their perception and be fully present with their experience. These are the activities I encourage whenever I am on outdoor excursions with my students or with participants during community engagement projects. These exercises have given my students and me, new perspectives and possibilities to engage with the world around us, revealing ephemeral and unique experiences in everyday life. Thus, I truly believe places are calling to be explored either through sensorial, phenomenological, geographical, or historical aspects or a blend of all of these effects. Full comprehension of a place does not necessarily come to us naturally; sometimes, we have to make an effort to dig in and understand it. A sense of belonging takes time. Now, having lived in Calgary for 11 years, I have noticed over the years that my perception of the city has changed as my appreciation of it keeps growing. Consequently, my art practice has underscored the need to be fully present and responsive to experiences in our local, natural, and urban environments. My drawings, photographs, and participatory events enable viewers and myself to take an active role in perceiving our surroundings in a fresh, more appreciative, and engaged way. Every art project I have performed unfolds differently, depending on the particularities of a certain place and my responses to it. Each work opens new questions for me and offers fresh challenges and insights about how to facilitate participants’ fuller experience of a place.

Isabel Porto

Isabel is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, you can contact her at isabel@isabelporto.com

 

Education

2022 Graduate Program Bridge To Teaching, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary (Convocation May 31st)

2014 Graduate Degree Master of Fine Arts, Department of Art University of Calgary, Canada

2005 Degree in Art Education from the Faculdade de Artes do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

 

National and Provincial Scholarships

2014 Graduate Scholarship from Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Calgary

2013 SSHRC, Joseph-Armand Bombardier (CGS)

2013 Graduate Scholarship from Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Calgary

2012 Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship

 

Public Art Projects supported by Public Funds

2016 Community-Based Public Art Project with the City of Calgary in partnership with the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre through the 2016 Artists Working in Community public art professional development course

2008 Bolsa Produção 02 – Fellowship by the City of Curitiba and the Art Foundation of Curitiba, Brazil

 

Art Exhibitions and Public Art Projects

*(R) Peer review and selective competition/process

2019 (R) Porto, Isabel. Walking Window: Drawing on the Everyday Life of the Alberta Hospitals. Those Who Wander a group exhibition at the McMullen Gallery, Edmonton, January 5^th to February 24^th

2018

(R) Porto, Isabel. New Iteration of the Walking Window, a Community-Based Public Art Project at the Alberta Hospitals in partnership with the McMullen Gallery & Friends of the University Hospitals, Edmonton, November 23^rd and 24^th

(Invited) Porto, Isabel. Landscape Tracing at the Leighton Art Centre during the Alberta Culture Days, September 30th

(R) Porto, Isabel. Windows of Beaulieu. Formed by Sand a group exhibition at the Lougheed House, Calgary, June 21st to September 30th 

2017

(R) Porto, Isabel. Drawing on Transit. Field Station – Tuscany LRT Community Cultural Development, An Artistic Collaboration with the GO collaborative + Legge Lewis Legge team, the City of Calgary and Calgary Transit. August 28^th, September 17^th and October 29^th

(R) Porto, Isabel. A Book Inside the Temple of Knowledge. Spectral Illumination II, a projection mapping with EMMEDIA and Calgary Public Library during Beakerhead event at the Memorial Park Library, September 13^th

2016

(Invited) Porto, Isabel. Perceptual Drawing at the Leighton Art Centre during the Alberta Culture Days, October 1st and 2nd

(R) Porto, Isabel. Walking Window, a Community-Based Public Art Project with the City of Calgary in partnership with the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre through the 2016 Artists Working in Community public art professional development course. Fifteen images resulting from the outdoors drawing event Walking Window were on display at the Sheldon M. Chumir Centre’s window facing 12 Ave SW, Calgary, July to December

(R) Porto, Isabel. Two Untitled Photographs, Constructions Sites Shaganappi Station. Headlines Exhibition through the Alberta Society of Arts. Northern Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, January 15th to February 26th and Sothern Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary April 15th to May 30th

2014

(R) Porto, Isabel. Perceptual Drawing. MFA Exhibition, Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary, Perceptual Drawing was a site-specific work at the +15 between Taylor Family Digital Library and MacKimmie Library, University of Calgary, August 8th to September 30th

(R) Porto, Isabel. Collaborative Drawing. ADGSA symposium and exhibition Performative Ecologies: Thinking Through Research Practices,” Drawing Interventions at the Pedway between Fine Arts Building and HUB International, University of Alberta, Edmonton, March 20th to 22nd; the exhibition remained until April 4th at the dc3 Art Projects, Edmonton, Canada

2012 (R) Porto, Isabel. Circulando. st[art] Residency Program by Calgary Allied Arts Foundation, Art Central, Calgary, Canada, April to June

2009 (R) Porto, Isabel. Three untitled C-Print. 5a. Bienal VentoSul, Museu de Arte Contemporanea do Paraná, MAC, Curitiba, Brazil

2008 (R) Porto, Isabel. Convite ao Largo da Ordem. Memorial de Curitiba, Curitiba,   Brazil

2007 (R) Porto, Isabel. NW 41st Street Série. SESC da Esquina, Curitiba, Brazil

1999 (R) Porto, Isabel. A Marca. (The Brand) Exhibition for the winners of the Heineken Art Contest “Heineken, Novos Talentos da Pintura” (Heineken, New Painting Talents) at the Museu da Republica do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The art piece is now part of the Heineken Museum collection in Amsterdam, Netherlands

 

Artworks Published

2017 Porto, Isabel and Harry Sanders. Drawing on Transit. Field Station, A community project for the neighbourhood of Tuscany, Royal Oak, and Rocky Ridge in partnership City of Calgary, Go Collaborative and Legge Lewis Legge, Summer, and Fall, pages 22 to 29

2015 Porto, Isabel. Perceptual Drawing. Edit. Canadian Art, Smart Guide. The Changing School: A Guide to Canadian Art Schools Thinking Outside the Box. Canadian Art. Winter 2015, pages 49 and 74

2014 Porto, Isabel. Perceptual Drawing. Maerten, Aurelie. Skywalk Drawings Offer a Window on New Way to See Art. Last Modified, November 2014: https://www.ucalgary.ca/utoday/issue/2014-08-13/skywalk-drawings-offer-window-new-way-see-art

2010 Flórez, Fernando C. Isabel Porto. Edit. Escobar, Ticio; Amarante, Leonor. 5a. Bienal Vento Sul. (Curitiba: Instituto Paranaense de Artes, 2010) pages 276 and 277

2009 Porto, Isabel. Convite ao Largo da Ordem. Edit. Fundação Cultural de Curitiba. Bolsa Produção para Artes Visuais 02 (Curitiba: Fundação Cultural de Curitiba, 2008) pages 68 to 71, 127 and 136

 

Professional and Academic Contributions

2019   Part of the ongoing Public Art Procurement Working Group sessions organized by the City of Calgary’s Public Art Program engaging local artists in a conversation about how the Public Art Program can improve their procurement processes. Sessions were once a month from May through November

2017  Public presentation of the Walking Window project and Jury for the selection panel of Artists Working in Community course 2017, during the Public Art 101 series at the Canyon Meadows Aquatics and Fitness Centre, June 24^th. Final selection panel at City’s public art program offices, July 11th

2016   Public Art Selection Panel: Porto, Isabel. After the completion of Artists Working in Community course, a final project proposal was presented for the Sheldon M. Chumir in partnership with the City of Calgary during the Public Art 101 series. Gallery Hall, Taylor Family Library University of Calgary, Canada, April 30th

2015   Invited talk: Porto Isabel. Perceptual Drawing: A Perspective of Experience. Graduate Student Research Panel as part of the School of Creative and Performing Art’s (SCPA) inaugural speaker series, which is being organized by the SCPA’s Inter-Arts Research Committee, University of Calgary, Canada, March 16th

2014

Invited talk: Porto, Isabel; Minoofar, Setareh; Downey, William. Nickle at Noon series–MFA Exhibition. Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada, September 18th

Invited talk: Porto, Isabel; Auffret, Kacie; Sun, prOphecy; Motutfirth, Monique; Sipppy, Grace. Artist’s Panel and Question and Answers for the ADGSA exhibition “Performative Ecologies: Thinking Through Research Practices,” at dc3 Art Projects Gallery & University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, March 22nd

2013  Public Presentation: Porto, Isabel. MFA Student Public Presentation. AB 672, Department of Art, University of Calgary, Canada, November, 20th

2012  Public Presentation: Porto, Isabel. MFA Student Public Presentation. AB 672, Department of Art, University of Calgary, Canada, November 21st

2008  Public Presentation: Porto, Isabel. Convite ao Largo da Ordem. Solar do Barão, Curitiba, Brazil, June 13th

 

Sessional Instructor at the Department of Art, University of Calgary

2020 Spring term, Sessional Instructor for the Perspectives in Plein Air course, Department of Art, University of Calgary

2018 Spring term, Sessional Instructor for the Perspectives in Plein Air course, Department of Art, University of Calgary

2016 Summer term, Sessional Instructor for the Perspectives in Plein Air course, Department of Art, University of Calgary

 

Teacher Assistant Positions at the Department of Art, University of Calgary

2014

Fall term, Teacher Assistant for instructor Kaarina-Nancy Bauer, Prehistory to later Middle Ages

Winter term, Teacher Assistant for instructor Paul Woodrow, Topics in Art, Technology and Media

2013

Fall term, Teacher Assistant for instructor Craig Fahner, Topics in Art: Survey of New Media.

Winter term, Teacher Assistant for instructor Clyde McConnell, Film Photography

Winter Term, Teacher Assistant for instructor Peter Deacon, Painting II

 

Other positions at the Department of Art, University of Calgary

2015    Substitute teaching for ART 311.03 course on September 23rd and 30th

2014 Gallery Coordinator of the Little Gallery and Gallery 621 from September 2013 to August

Visiting Artists coordinator from January to March

 

Volunteer

2018 & 2017 VBC Summer Camp at the Holly Name Parish

2016   Assisting Art Classes at Wildflower Arts Centre, January to May

2015

Assisting Art Classes at Wildflower Arts Centre, September to December

Assisting Artist in Residence Chester Lees at Dalhousie School, October to November

 

Private Commissions

2009   Illustrations for the book O Vôo da Humanidade e 101 tecnologias que mudaram a face da Terra by José Carlos Amarante

2008   Illustrations for the folders and catalogues of the 3o. Simpósio Brasileiro em HLA e Doenças, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2007   Illustrations for the folders and catalogues of the 2o. Simpósio Brasileiro em HLA e Doenças, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2006   Illustrations for the folders and catalogues of the 1o. Simpósio Brasileiro em HLA e Doenças, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 1998   Illustration for 2 album covers for a Brazilian rock band – Os Anjos

 

Extended Studies and Professional Courses

 2017 (R) Lo-Fi Projection Mapping workshop taught by Bryce Maruk, August 1^st at EMMEDIA

2016 (R) Artists Working in Community course offered by the City of Calgary Public Art Program and led by Dawn Ford, Feb 24th to April 30th

2012  Digital Photography Course with William Yee at Alberta College of Art + Design, ACAD, Calgary, Canada

2010  Arte: Reflecão e Atitude with Anna Bella Geiger and Fernando Cocchiarale at the Escola de Arte Visuais Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2010  O Problema do Espaço na Arte Contemporânea with Leila Danzinger and Luiz Cláudio da Costa at Programa de Pós-Graduacao UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2006  História da Arte do Paraná with Rosemeire Odahara Graça at Alfredo Andersen Museu, Curitiba, Brazil

1999 & 1998  Desenhos na Cidade with Malu Fatorelli at Centro Cultural da UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1997 & 1996 Introdução à Arte with Diô Viana at Isabel Oswald atelier, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil