Artistry and the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge are excited to announce Little Spirits by Moira Villard. This thrilling exhibition highlights insects and wildlife Moira that shaped her childhood on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet, Minnesota. We are especially delighted to showcase new works Villard has created that celebrate the rich history, vibrant ecology, and natural beauty of Minnesota.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Through public art collaborations across Minnesota, Moira Villiard (pronounced "Miri") is a multidisciplinary artist who uses art to uplift underrepresented narratives, explore the nuance of society’s historical community intersections, and promote community healing spaces. She is proficient in a variety of artistic genres, but considers her primary medium to be space and people's interactions with it. In 2023 she was selected as a McKnight Community Engaged Artist Fellow, and is currently a 2024 Bush Fellow. Her mental health-focused project Waiting for Beds is a collaboration with Carla Hamilton and the community, and has toured around the region, uplifting the narratives around extensive wait times for care. Moira grew up on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet, MN and is a Fond du Lac direct descendent of mixed settler and Indigenous heritage. Moira works full-time as a freelance consultant, designer, speaker, and is the project director and lead artist of the Chief Buffalo Memorial Murals. As a community organizer and arts educator, she concentrates her efforts around issues of equity and justice. Her overall work seeks to bridge gaps in community memory and recognition.