First Name: Randolph

Last Name: Trudeau

Full Name: Randolph (Randy) Clement Trudeau

Date of birth: 1955

Place of birth: Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada

Date of death: 2013

Place of death: Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Community / Heritage: Odawa-Ojibwe

Sex: Male

Art Media: Acrylic, wood burner.

Bio:

Randolph (Randy) Clement Trudeau was an Odawa-Ojibwe artist. Trudeau was born in 1954 on the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada. He was raised in Buzwah, Ontario by his grandparents, who followed a traditional way of life. 

Trudeau attended a summer school organized by Tom Peletier, the creator of the Manitou Arts Foundation. The Foundation was formed to encourage young people to consider a career in arts. The school counted Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray and Gerald Dokis among its advisors. Other students who attended the school included Shirley Cheechoo, Blake Debassige, Leland Bell and Martin Panamick. Trudeau also attended summer programs at Laurentian University, Sudbury, and was a cultural assistant at the Wikwemikong schools for two years.

Trudeau was influenced by the style of Norval Morrisseau, the founder of the Woodland School of Art, while also incorporating Western techniques into his work. His work showcases the culture, life and traditions of Indigenous people.

To provide for his family, Trudeau spent part of his life working as a contractor and heavy equipment operator. From 1994 to 2000, Randy taught Native symbolism in a variety of schools across Ontario. He was an active community member, and donated numerous artworks to fundraising and anti-poverty organizations.

Trudeau’s art was featured in the “Visions of Our Native American Heritage” book by Jay and Georgette Stock. His works were shown worldwide and are represented in major national collections.

Articles

• http://www.native-art-in-canada.com/randytrudeau.html
• https://ammsa.com/publications/ontario-birchbark/artists-challenged
• https://www.nosm.ca/2018/10/03/whats-good-about-our-relationshipsand-how-can-we-create-more-of-that/
• https://norvalmorrisseau.blogspot.com/2013/11/great-anishinaabewoodland-artists-part.html