{{Short description|American-Canadian artist (born 1948)}} {{Infobox artist | name = Tanya Mars | birth_name = Tanya Ann Marshall | birth_date = 1948 | birth_place = Monroe, Michigan, U.S. | alma_mater = University of Michigan | known_for = Multidisciplinary performance artist, video artist, feminist artist | website = {{URL|http://tanyamars.com}} }} '''Tanya Mars''' (born 1948) is a performance and video artist based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
==Biography== Mars was born in Monroe, Michigan in 1948, and has lived in Canada since 1967.<ref name="Couillard " /> She was married once, and has one daughter.<ref name=":2 " >{{Cite web|url=http://tanyamars.com/about/curriculum-vitae/|title=Tanya Mars|website=tanyamars.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref> Mars is also known as Tanya Rosenberg.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://app.pch.gc.ca/application/aac-aic/artiste_detailler_bas-artist_detail_bas.app?lang=en&qlang=fr&rID=26949&pID=1&fID=2&an=mars,+tanya&ps=50&sort=AM_ASC|title=Artists in Canada|last=Network|first=Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage Information|website=app.pch.gc.ca|date=17 October 2012 |language=en|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref>
She was educated at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Sir George Williams University in Montreal, and at Loyola College, Montreal (now incorporated into Concordia University).<ref name="Couillard " >{{cite book|editor-last1=Couillard|editor-first1=Paul|title=Ironic to iconic : the performance works of Tanya Mars|date=2008|publisher=Fado Performance Inc.|location=Toronto|isbn=978-0973088311|page=203}}</ref>
Mars currently teaches performance art and video in the Department of Arts, Culture and Media in the University of Toronto Scarborough and is part of the graduate faculty of the Master of Visual Studies Program at the University of Toronto.<ref name=":1 " >{{Cite web|url=http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/acm/tanya-mars|title=Tanya Mars {{!}} Department of Arts, Culture and Media|publisher=University of Toronto|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref>
==Work== Tanya Mars has been an active member of the Canadian arts scene, creating performance art and video works since 1974.<ref>Sawchuk, Kim (2004). "Tanya Mars: Enthusiasm Unbridled." ''Caught in the Act: An Anthology of Performance Art by Canadian Women''. Toronto:YYZ Books, p. 324. {{ISBN|0-920397-84-0}}</ref> She has performed widely across Canada, in Valparaiso, Chile, Mexico City, Sweden, France and Helsinki. Her work draws on feminist discourse and imagery, and often uses humour and satire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tanyamars.com/about/biography/|title=Tanya Mars - biography|last=Mars|first=Tanya|website=Tanya Mars Website|access-date=2018-03-14}}</ref>
Mars is a founding member of and director of Powerhouse Galleries (La Centrale) in Montreal,<ref>{{Cite web |title=La Centrale galerie Powerhouse |url=https://www.lacentrale.org/en/ |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse |language=fr-CA}}</ref> the first women's art gallery in Canada. She was the editor of ''Parallelogramme'' magazine from 1977 to 1989,<ref name=":2 " /> and very active in The Association of National Non-Profit Artist-run Centres for 15 years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-29 |title=About |url=http://directory.arca.art/about |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=Directory |language=en}}</ref> During the 1970s and 1980s, Mars was a member and secretary of The Association of National Non-Profit Artist-Run Centres, a national lobby group for artist-run centres (1976–1989).<ref name=":0 " >{{Cite book|title = Caught in the Act: an anthology of performance art by Canadian women|publisher = YYZ Books|year = 2004|isbn = 0-920397-84-0|location = Toronto, ON, Canada|pages = 427|editor-last = Mars|editor-first = Tanya|editor-last2 = Householder|editor-first2 = Johanna}}</ref> She is a past president and member of FADO, a non-profit artist-run centre for performance art based in Toronto, Canada.<ref name=":0 " /> Currently, she is also a member of the 7a*11d Collective<ref>{{Cite web |title=7A*11D International Performance Art Festival, Toronto {{!}} TPAC |url=https://7a-11d.ca/ |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=7A*11D |language=en-CA}}</ref> that produces a bi-annual International Festival of Performance Art in Toronto.<ref name=":2 " />
''Tyranny of Bliss'' took place in 2004 in Toronto which had audiences travel by car to 14 tableaux representing the seven heavenly virtues and seven deadly sins.<ref>{{Cite news|title=A $200,000 day|last=Adams|first=James|date=March 26, 2008|newspaper=Globe and Mail}}</ref>
With Johanna Householder, Mars co-edited the 2004 anthology ''Caught in the Act: An Anthology of Performance Art by Canadian Women''.<ref>Mars, Tanya and Johanna Householder, eds. ''Caught in the Act: An Anthology of Performance Art by Canadian Women''. Toronto: YYZ Books, 2004</ref> A second volume, also co-edited by Mars and Householder, entitled ''More Caught in the Act: An Anthology of Performance Art by Canadian Women'' was published in 2016.<ref>{{Cite book|title="More Caught in the Act : an anthology of performance art by Canadian Women". Edited by Tanya Mars and Jessica Householder|publisher=YYZ Books, Artexte Editions|year=2016|isbn=9780920397640|location=Toronto, Montreal}}</ref>
Mars' performance work received in-depth treatment in a 2008 critical anthology edited by Paul Couillard.<ref>Couillard, Paul, ed. ''Ironic to Iconic: The Performance Works of Tanya Mars''. Toronto: Fado Performance Inc., 2008</ref>
=== Videography === Source:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vtape.org/artist?ai=181|title=Artist {{!}} Vtape|website=www.vtape.org|access-date=2016-03-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tanyamars.com/about/curriculum-vitae/|title=Tanya Mars|website=tanyamars.com|access-date=2016-03-05}}</ref> * The Granny Suites, Part 1: Happy Birthday to You - 2006 * 7 Deadly Sins/ 7 Deadly Virtues - 2004 * Hot! - 1998 * Doom - 1996 * Bronco's Kiss - 1996 * Mz. Frankenstein - 1993 * End of Nature, The - 1991 * PURE HELL - 1990 * Pure Sin - 1990 * Pure Nonsense - 1987 * Pure Sin - 1986 * Pure Virtue - 1985 * 24 Postcards of Rage: No Man's Land - 1983 (with Rina Fraticelli) * Picnic In The Drift - 1981
===Performance Art=== Source:<ref>Sawchuk, pp. 324-334.</ref> *Good Buy!, 2018 *Crone, 2017 (FADO, part of MonoMyths curated by Shannon Cochrane and Jess Dobkin) *Homage to the City of Women: Leaves of Gold, 2016 *Rare Parity, 2015 *The Artist is A Present, 2015 *Vanitas for an Arctic Landscape, 2015 *Tyranny of Bliss, 2004 * Performance Art Starter Kit, 2000 *Pure Virtue, 1984 *Pure Sin, 1987 *Pure Nonsense, 1987 *Pure Hell, 1990 * Fat - 1978 (Thirteen Jackies) * All Alone Am I - 1977 (Thirteen Jackies) * Super Secretary - 1977 * Tanya-in-the-Box - 1976 * Codpieces: phallic paraphernalia - 1974
==Awards== * 1981 - Received Chalmers Award for innovative collaboration in the performing arts for ''Picnic in the Drift'' with Rina Fraticelli.<ref name=":2 " /> * 2005 - Awarded "Artist of the Year," Untitled Arts Awards, Toronto.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Couillard|editor-first1=Paul|title=Ironic to iconic : the performance works of Tanya Mars|date=2008|publisher=Fado Performance Inc.|location=Toronto|isbn=978-0973088311|pages=226}}</ref> * 2008 - Awarded Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts.<ref name=":2 " />
== Residencies ==
* 1984 - Western Front in Vancouver, British Columbia. Presented ''Pure Virtue''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://front.bc.ca/events/pure-virtue/|title=Pure Virtue - Western Front|website=front.bc.ca|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-17|archive-date=2018-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318054227/https://front.bc.ca/events/pure-virtue/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":2 " /> * 1993 - Western Front in Vancouver, British Columbia. Presented ''Mz Frankenstein'' with Judy Radul and Brice Canyon as part of six-week residency, curated by Kate Craig.<ref name=":2 " /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://front.bc.ca/events/mz-frankenstein/|title=Mz. Frankenstein - Western Front|website=front.bc.ca|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-17|archive-date=2018-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318054753/https://front.bc.ca/events/mz-frankenstein/|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2008 - [http://lilithperformancestudio.com/ Lilith Performance Studio] in Malmö, Sweden. Presented ''In Dulci Jubilo'' curated by Elin Lundgren and Petter Pettersson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lilithperformancestudio.com/?archivemain=tanya-mars|title=Tanya Mars {{!}} Lilith Performance Studio|website=lilithperformancestudio.com|language=en|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> * 2008 - [https://www.citedesartsparis.net/ The Cité internationale des arts] in Paris, International Artist in Residence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://guangzhoulive.info/archive/guangzhou-live-4/artists/tanya-mars-canada.html|title=Tanya MARS, Canada|website=guangzhoulive.info|access-date=2018-03-17|archive-date=2018-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318054531/http://guangzhoulive.info/archive/guangzhou-live-4/artists/tanya-mars-canada.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== References == <!--- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using<ref></ref> tags, these references will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://tanyamars.com}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mars, Tanya}} Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:American performance artists Category:American expatriates in Canada Category:American video artists Category:American women artists Category:Artists from Michigan Category:Artists from Toronto Category:Canadian performance artists Category:American women performance artists Category:Canadian women performance artists Category:Canadian video artists Category:Women video artists Category:Canadian women artists Category:Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners Category:People from Monroe, Michigan Category:University of Michigan alumni Category:Academic staff of the University of Toronto Scarborough