Speaking up

In response to invitations to speak about my life and work as an artist, I developed a series of performative slide show presentations which I have been delivering to diverse audiences since 1992. I feel a very strong commitment to issues affecting women, and many of my talks have been fundraising events for non-profit groups whose aim it is to help them.


charm beauty and poise title 72 dpiCharm, Beauty and Poise:Timeless Tips for Girls Who Have Let Themselves Go
Sheila Norgate collects vintage etiquette books. Ever since she came across her first one just over a decade ago, life has never been quite the same. She couldn’t believe what this book had to say about women and girls; and not just their conduct or morality, but their bodies. She set out like a demented terrier to dig up more of this material. She brought her painting practice to a temporary halt in order to produce a series of mixed media works using passages of text from the toxic tomes mixed up in a forced marriage kind of way, with images from women’s magazines of the same period. The resulting body of work was published in book form in 1997 as Storm Clouds Over Party Shoes: Etiquette Problems for the Ill-Bred Woman. The first printing sold out in two weeks and the book was enthusiastically reviewed across Canada. Clearly Norgate had struck a collective nerve. In the years following the release of Storm Clouds, Norgate’s painting career burgeoned as did her stockpile of vintage etiquette books.

Now she has created a slide show using all new vintage imagery and a freshly minted script full of retro irony and feminist wit, guaranteed to give any woman’s waning glamour battery a road-side boost. If putting your best foot forward involves a Birkenstock sandal and you think allure is something only found in a fishing tackle box – then this presentation may be just the thing. Extend your best before date.

what they are saying:
“a smart, slyly hilarious etiquette lesson by a kind of post-modern, lesbian Emily Post”
“a rare combination of brilliant political satire and a rollicking good time”
“riveting, creative and original”
“if you have a chance to see this show – we say don’t miss it”
“a delightful presentation…an instant hit!”

Norgate’s next performances of “Charm, Beauty and Poise” will be Wednesday February 10th 8pm at the Port Theatre in beautiful downtown Nanaimo. Tickets are a mere $15, a small price to pay for the piece of mind of knowing one is always doing the right thing. Tix available through the Port Theatre’s website.


letter masthead 72 dpi copySheila Norgate presents a dynamic and captivating slide show documenting the creation of her original and idiosyncratic paintings. Using a tripod set up behind her in the studio and photographing work in progress at regular intervals, she has managed to capture the feel and atmosphere of the painting process. From the dreaded blank canvas through the twists and turns, it is all laid bare for the audience; no roadmaps, no sketches, no net.  Share in the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Watch as paintings she thought were finished proved to have entirely other plans for her. It’s like being a fly on the studio wall minus the paint on your pants.

what they are saying:
“Spellbinding…Norgate’s courage to do things over and start again is inspiring. She is so open about her journey as an artist and as a human being that you will come away feeling emboldened by her courage.” Shelagh Rogers, Canadian radio broadcaster currently host of CBC Radio One’s “The Last Chapter”.

“Fascinating and beautiful, unsentimental and tremendously brave.” Hilary Peach, writer, audio poet, recording artist, arts activist, and founder/Artistic Director of the Poetry Gabriola Festival

“Norgate opens an entertaining window on the creative process that is informative, funny and fascinating for anyone wanting to learn what really lies underneath the surface of art – and artists.” Katherine Gordon, author and free-lance journalist



Nice Girl/Bad Girl: the Incredible True Story of One Woman’s Psyche:
An animated and provocative slide show recounting Norgate’s evolution as a self-taught visual artist. More importantly it chronicles her near-fatal battle with Nice Girlism. Nice Girl/Bad Girl is about a profound psychic and emotional split which worked its way to consciousness through her art. The show consists of slides of Norgate’s work covering over twenty-five years, from the petite and tentative watercolour landscapes in 1983, to the strong and full-scale canvases  now shown in galleries throughout North America. Norgate takes her viewers along on the bumpy ride from art dabbler to full-fledged painter, and introduces us to the cast of psychic characters that have inhabited her life as a ”recovering nice girl”. You will hear about how an impulse to make art arose out of the chaos of debilitating illness. You will find out how an ex-banker with no training in the arts and no particular aptitude made for herself a successful and meaningful career as a painter. It’s a tale about finding one’s place in the world, about finding one’s voice. It’s a tale about it never being too late.

what they are saying:
“insightful, inspirational, and provocative”
“intelligent, poignant and healing”
“It is rare for an audience to have the privilege of hearing such a personal, engaging account of the growth of the artist’s psyche….the audience marvelled at this glimpse of Norgate’s art and process.”
“Norgate’s ability to be vulnerable, witty and guileless is astonishing”
“it is a challenge to convey just how captivating this show is”
“beautiful, intelligent and fun”
“Norgate manages to be profound and witty, personal and polished, probing and healing all at the same time”
“travelling a gentle and fascinating journey, Norgate’s piece is both political and entertaining”
“understated and witty…Norgate’s talk touches on the human spirit in a delightful, universal way. When the lights went  on there was a feeling of regret that it was over”.


Past Presentations

  • Charm Beauty and Poise, Timeless Tips for Girls who Have Let Themselves Go” Poetry Gabriola Festival, Surf Lodge Great Room, November 2009
  • Charm Beauty and Poise, Timeless Tips for Girls who Have Let Themselves Go” Heritage Hall, Vancouver BC, benefit for Elizabeth Bagshaw Clinic, October 2009
  • Charm Beauty and Poise, Timeless Tips for Girls who Have Let Themselves Go” BOLD Lesbian Conference, Coast Plaza Hotel, Vancouver BC, September 2009
  • “I Never Met a Blank Canvas I Didn’t Like” , Roxy Theatre, Gabriola BC, July 2009
  • “Charm Beauty and Poise, Timeless Tips for Girls who Have Let Themselves Go” Nanaimo Golf Course, Guest Speaker at Nanaimo Women’s Business Network, June 2009
  • “I Never Met a Blank Canvas I Didn’t Like” , Roxy Theatre, Gabriola BC, May 2009
  • “Charm Beauty and Poise, Timeless Tips for Girls who Have Let Themselves Go” , Martin Batchelor Gallery, Victoria BC (benefit for BC Sierra Club), April 2009
  • “Charm Beauty and Poise, Timeless Tips for Girls who Have Let Themselves Go” , Gabriola Island, Nov 2007 and Apr 2008
  • Artist Talk, International Women’s Day, Gabriola BC, March 2007
  • Artist Talk, Meyer Gallery, Park City UT, March 2006
  • Artist Talk, Nanaimo Art Gallery, Nanaimo BC, November 2005
  • Guest Speaker, Vancouver Island Birth Control Clinic, Victoria BC, February 2004
  • Artist Talk, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, April 2003
  • Guest Lecturer, Victoria Women’s Transition House, October 2002
  • Keynote Speaker, Haven Society AGM, Nanaimo BC, January 2002
  • Keynote Speaker, ANAD, Disordered Eating Awareness Week, Vancouver BC, February 2001
  • Presenter, Restoring Justice for Women and Youth, Elizabeth Fry Conference, April 2001
  • Keynote Speaker, Burnaby Teachers Status of Women, March 1999
  • Guest Speaker, Vancouver Elementary School Teachers Association, September 1999
  • Guest Speaker, Life Line Society, Burnaby BC, March 1999
  • Guest Lecturer, Thomas A Dohm Lecture Series, Capilano College BC, April 1998
  • Guest Speaker, Victoria Feminist Archives, Women’s Studies. University of Victoria, Oct.1998
  • Presenter, Storm Clouds Over Party Shoes Launch, Vancouver BC, November 1997
  • Presenter, Storm Clouds Over Party Shoes Launch, University of Victoria, November 1997
  • Visiting Artist, Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art, Winnipeg, Nov. 1997
  • Presenter, World Conference on Breast Cancer Conference, Kingston Ontario, July 1997
  • Guest Speaker, International Women’s Day, University of BC, Vancouver BC, March 1997
  • Keynote Speaker, North Shore Registered Nurses Association AGM, Vancouver BC, June 1996
  • Blind Date Productions, Victoria, April 1 1995
  • Women in View Festival, Vancouver BC February 1995
  • Presenter, British Columbia Teachers’ Federation Conference, Richmond BC, 1992
  • Keynote Speaker, Sooke Teacher’s Association, Sooke BC, March 1992





She had the audience laughing so they didn’t have to think about thinking.  Her use of images, body language and words combined into more than their sum.   It was a fun, informal presentation that was the perfect length to keep the audience entertained and engaged.  Immediately after Sheila’s presentation, we were already thinking about ideas for our next fundraiser.   I would recommend Sheila to anyone who wanted a clever, fun yet thoughtful take on the world of women, beauty, etiquette and beyond!