# Tanya Mars

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{{Short description|American-Canadian artist (born 1948)}}
{{Infobox artist
| name        = Tanya Mars
| birth_name  = Tanya Ann Marshall
| birth_date  = 1948
| birth_place = [Monroe, Michigan](/source/Monroe%2C_Michigan), U.S.
| alma_mater  = [University of Michigan](/source/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](/source/Toronto), [Ontario](/source/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](/source/University_of_Michigan), Ann Arbor, Sir George Williams University in Montreal, and at Loyola College, Montreal (now incorporated into [Concordia University](/source/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](/source/University_of_Toronto_Scarborough) and is part of the graduate faculty of the Master of Visual Studies Program at the [University of Toronto](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Governor_General's_Awards_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](/source/Western_Front_Society) in Vancouver, British Columbia. Presented ''Mz Frankenstein'' with [Judy Radul](/source/Judy_Radul) and Brice Canyon as part of six-week residency, curated by [Kate Craig](/source/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}}

{{Authority control}}

{{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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tanya Mars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_Mars) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_Mars?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.