Michelle Swallow
Artist Story
I think that there are all sorts of great stories to be told in the North. We are really lucky to be in a place so rich in wilderness, people and characters. The North is inspirational and there is also a lot of opportunity and support here to push our own creative boundaries as artists. I love seeing my projects come together and how people react to them.
A while back my dad suggested I write a guidebook on the Mackenzie River because there was nothing like that out there at the time. So in 2003, I paddled the river and wrote the book as I went along. The Mackenzie River hasn’t been celebrated as much as it should be and this opportunity was a way to share something special through my own experience while incorporating some history and the stories of people who live along the river.
Most of my ideas sit in my mind somewhere and just hang out until I feel it is time to flesh them out more. My two short films were ideas that I thought would be fun to try. Pottery Wars is a quirky little documentary about buying pottery in a small town. In my most recent project, I worked with Yellowknife animator Jillian Mazur to make an animation about a failed buffalo hunt on the Slave River. I enjoy projects that allow me to express myself creatively – I get a lot out of them personally.