Extended Biography
Mika Abbott (she/her) is an emerging lens-based artist and arts worker residing in Regina, Saskatchewan, situated on Treaty 4 Territory. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction from the University of Regina (2020), where she specialized in photography. Her film photography practice is conceptually driven by themes of identity, memory, place, and the nuanced relationships between intimate spaces and cultural values. Abbott is currently expanding her practice to explore moving image and documentary filmmaking as a continuation of her interest in analogue processes and slow, observational image-making.
Active within Regina’s arts, culture, and heritage community, Abbott has held roles with Dunlop Art Gallery and serves as Festival Curator and Coordinator with Nuit Blanche Regina. She currently acts as Chair of the Board of Directors at Neutral Ground Artist-Run Centre, and has contributed to major digitization initiatives at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan.
While working at the archives, she handled many images depicting prairie domestic life, often framing the home and garden as idealized sites of women’s duty, reinforcing stereotypical gendered narratives. Yet these spaces more deeply embody the nuances of domesticity, pointing to tradition, routine, personal taste, and forms of spatial privilege. These encounters have directly informed and challenged her understanding of the domestic sphere– these spaces emerge not only as a site of chore and obligation, but also of care, rest, ritual, and devotion.
Abbott was supported by the 2024–2025 CARFAC Foundational Mentorship Program under the guidance of Dr. Risa Horowitz. She is also a recipient of a SK Arts Independent Artist – Research and Development Grant, which supported workshops and mentorship during a critical emerging period of her practice. This included mentorships with Ella Morton, Jim Hurtubise, and Paul Sergeant at Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography in Toronto during the 2025 CONTACT Photography Festival. It also enabled her to attend the Experimental Photography Festival in Barcelona, allowing her to further explore alternative and historical photographic processes and expand the material scope of her work.
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2020 — Bachelor of Fine Arts (Distinction), Visual Arts, University of Regina. Regina, SK.
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2024 — Rekindled Spaces, Fifth Parallel Gallery, University of Regina. (Upcoming).
2020 — Standing Room Only, graduating BFA exhibition.
2020 — Through Blue, Organization of Risa Horowitz’ “Cyanotypes” class, virtual exhibition.
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2023 — Exhibition essay: “Billy Beal” for Black Prairies, Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, SK. January 25 - April 2, 2025.
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2024 — Abbott, Mika. Portrait of Indigenous emerging artist Audie Murrary used for artist feature. Commissioned by Public Parking Publication, Fall 2024.
2023 — Abbott, Mika. Portrait of Métis artist David Garneau used for artist feature. First American Art Magazine. FAAM Issue No. 37, Winter 2023.
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2026 — Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative, Creation Assistance Program (CA
2024 — SK Arts. Independent Artist - Research and Development Grant
2020 — Spring/ Summer Academic Silver Prize
2019 — Fall Kiley Carlson Memorial Scholarship
2015 — Fall Luther College Entrance Scholarship
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2025 - Jury member for our Bazaart and Holiday Bazaart Makers’ Markets for 2025.
2024-2025 - Chair at Neutral Ground artist run center, Regina, SK.
2024-2025 — Archival Processing Clerk at Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan, Regina, SK.
2024 — Camera assistant for Aaron Sinclair’s short film, The Stars Over Limerick.
2024 — Event photographer for Leesa Streifler’s opening reception for She is Present at Dunlop Art Gallery, featuring performance by Anastasia Evsigneeva, Art in Movement.
2024 — Event photographer for Rita McKeough’s opening reception for feel through the deepness to see at Dunlop Art Gallery.
2023-2024 — Curatorial Assistant - Collections Photographer for a digitization project at Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, SK.
2023 — Event photographer for Nuit Blanche Regina.
2023-2024 — Board Member and Vice Chair at Neutral Ground artist run center, Regina, SK.
2022-2023 — Young Canada Works – Exhibition research assistant: Black Prairies at Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, SK.
2022 — Event photographer for Feast Your Eyes: Foodie Film Festival, RPL Film Theatre, Regina, SK.
2022 — Documentation of Bill Burns’s performance of The Milk, the Goats, the Honey, the Milk, the Brass Band at Regina Farmers Market with Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, SK.
2021-2023 — Gallery facilitator at Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, SK.
2021-2023 — Preparator assistant at Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, SK.
2020 — BTS photographer on Aaron Sinclair’s feature length film, The Wild.
2019-2020 — Arts educator: children’s art teacher at Footprint Learning Centre Corporation: Blue Whale Art Studio, Regina, SK.
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July 2025 — Experimental Photography Festival (participant), Barcelona, Spain. (forthcoming).
June 2025 — 1:1 mentorship with Ella Morton at Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Toronto, ON. (forthcoming)
May 2025 — 1:1 workshop with Jim Hurtubise at Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Toronto, ON. (forthcoming)
May 2025 — 1:1 workshop with Paul Sergeant at the TinType Studio, Hamilton, ON. (forthcoming)
2024-2025 — Mentoring under Dr. Risa Horowitz through the CARFAC Foundational Mentorship Program.