Bio
Mirna Chacín is a Venezuelan-born Canadian visual artist who immigrated to Canada, looking for the inclusion and equality that Canada grants her LGBTQ2+ community.
In 2011, before immigrating, her Alma Mater, The University of Zulia (LUZ), awarded Mirna The Francisco Hung's Gold Medal for her artistic achievements in Venezuela.
In Toronto, Mirna was recipient of The Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship grant by Toronto Arts Council. The Ontario Art CouncilToronto Arts Foundation and RBC Arts Access Found founded some of her solo and collective exhibitions in Ontario.
In 2017 she was awarded the Community Impact Award by The Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto for her outstanding contributions in telling the stories of newcomer inclusion through photography.
Since the 1990's, Mirna artwork has been shown in art galleries and museums in Venezuela, across Latin America, Italy, and Canada. Most recently collective shows: “Subject to Change , Geographies of Belongings” and “Sons of The Sun"
You might pay a visit to “Where the Sun Rises,” , her ongoing public solo exhibition in downtown Toronto. The exhibit is part of The Patch Project , commissioned by Menkes Developments.
Mirna is the co-founder photographer and editor of the online Spanish language cultural magazine Toronto Entero, is a member of Neighborhood Arts Network, Sur Gallery, The Patch Project,and Gallery 44
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Where The Sun Rises, Public Exhibition through Construction Hoarding curates by The Step Initiative for the Patch Project, 150 Queens Quay , Toronto, Canada
2017 Where The Sun Rises, Pop-up Exhibition and video mapping projection at Sur Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2014 The Paraguaná Project, Museum of Contemporary Art of Zulia (MACZUL) Maracaibo, Venezuela
2013 Exuberance, Mimico Centennial Library Branch, Etobicoke, Canada
2001 The Visitors, Art Gallery Carmona, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
2000 The Visitors, Art Center of Maracaibo Lia Bermudez (CAMLB), Maracaibo, Venezuela
1993 A Bikes’ Tale, Photography Gallery, French Alliance of Caracas, Venezuela
1992 A Bikes’ Tale, Centro de Bellas Artes, Maracaibo. Venezuela
1991 A Bikes’ Tale, Il Sigilio, Art Gallery, Padua, Italy
1993 Voyage Made Clear, Museum of Bellas Artes, Maracaibo, Venezuela
1991 Voyage Made Clear, The Photography Room at the Athenaeum of Caracas, Venezuela
1991 Voyage Made Clear, Gallery of Notaries, Montevideo, Uruguay
1992 Dwelling, Photofolie France. Châlons-en-Champagne, France
1990 Dwelling, Il Sigilo Gallery, Padua, Italy
1990 Dwelling, Gallery of The Notaries, Montevideo, Uruguay
1989 Dwelling, Gallery of Los Espacios Cálidos, Athenaeum of Caracas. Venezuela
Collectives
2021.09-2021-12, Souls On Hold as part of AtworxTO's HOME (land) collective curated by Claudia Arana. AtworxTO CLOVERDALE Hub, Etobicoke. On.
2020-08 Unattended Requiem as part of Confined Bodies at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Zulia, Venezuela.
2019 Subject to change, Arts Etobicoke’s Storefront Gallery, Scotia Bank Contact Photography Festival. Toronto, Canada
2019 Geography of Belongings, Toronto Arts Council & City of Toronto, City Hall, Toronto, Canada
2019 Sons of The Sun, Month of Photography Los Angeles
2018 Equity Through Emergence, Scarborough Arts’ Scarborough, Canada
2018 TD Sunfest’s Colores de Latinoamérica, 11th edition The Arts Project Gallery, London, Canada
2018 I Live Here, Arts Etobicoke’s Storefront Gallery, Etobicoke, Canada
2017 TD Sunfest’s Colores de Latinoamérica, 10th edition, The Arts Project Gallery, London, Canada
2014 Out of the Wall, Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary photography, Toronto, Canada
2013 Photopia, Gallery 44, Centre for Contemporary photography, Toronto, Canada
2010 The Vital Lake, Art Center of Maracaibo Lia Bermudez (CAMLB), Maracaibo, Venezuela
2009 Maracaibo the Snapshot City, Seven Contemporary Visions, Art Center of Maracaibo Lia Bermudez (CAMLB), Maracaibo, Venezuela
2003 Descubrimientos, Photo España, Madrid, Spain
1994 Death of Desire, Photography Gallery of the French Alliance of Caracas, Venezuela
1992 Photofolie, Premiere Fête de la Photographie, Châlons-en-Champagne, France
Lectures
2020 “From Maracaibo to Toronto” Spanish Students Class of The University of Toronto
2020 “The Artist-Entrepreneur” for Sur’s Artist Mentorship Program at Sur Gallery, Toronto
2019 “Where The Sun Rises”, Artist talk at Art hub 29, Toronto, Canada
2019 “Subject to Change”, Artist talk, at The Storefront Gallery. Etobicoke, Canada
2018 “Creating Space for Mental Health” Workman Arts Symposium” Guess Artist
2015 Creative Potluck, Pecha-Kucha style presentation at The Neighborhood Arts Network:
2015 “Stories Untold” newcomer artist experiences, Paralia Arts Networking and West End
2014 “Paraguaná Project” Artist Talk at The Museum of Contemporary Art of Zulia (MACZUL) Venezuela
Awards & Recognitions
2018 RBC Mentorship Award recipient
2018 RBC Arts Access Fund recipient
2018 Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2017 RBC Arts Access Fund recipient
2017 Community Impact Award, The Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto, Canada
2017 Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship Grant recipient from the Toronto Arts Council
2016 Patch Artist, The Patch Project Toronto, Canada
2011 Gold Medal & Artistic Merit Order: “Francisco Hung Bracho” from The University of Zulia (LUZ), Maracaibo, Venezuela
1996 First Prize in Fine Art photography “Pedro Villasmil” at III Salon of Visual Arts, Venezuela
1992 First Prize in photography, “La Cittá degli Bambini”, UNICEF Italy
1986 First Prize in Fine Art Photography, II Biennial of Visual Arts "City of Maracaibo", Venezuela
Publications
2019 Where The Sun Rises, FanZine limited edition
2013 El Universal / Mirada expuesta, Mirna Chacin“Love Beyond Borders”, P. 3 Venezuela
2012 The Applied Arts Wire/ “Mirna Chacín “Light in black and white”, The Applied Arts Wire is the daily blog from Applied Arts Magazine, Canada
2009 Estampas Zulianas Magazine: Mirna Chacin, Entre el Amor y la libertad. May issue. P 10-11 Maracaibo - Venezuela
1997 Six photographers, six visions (Seis fotógrafos, seis visiones).
Mirna Chacín: “When the Life becomes Light”. Book edited by The University of Zulia, Faculty of Humanities. P.35 - 50, Venezuela