#110: Visit Public Art by Indigenous Artists

#110: Is there any public art by Indigenous artists in your area? If so, visit it and learn about the artists.

My lunch date with Ralph today consisted of a lovely walk around the Total Aboriginal Trail, a collection of public art installations on MacDonald Island Park. I'll be honest I am very biased when it comes to this project as I was on the planning committee (to be clear my small contribution paled to that of Alice Martin, Buffy Cheecham, Ana Maria Mendez and the other committee members).

The theme of the trail is the Seven Sacred Teachings of love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility and truth. After receiving amazing submissions, the committee chose artistic concepts from three local Indigenous artists from the Wood Buffalo region (Treasure Cooper, Frederick McDonald, Christopher Hamacher) and four Canadian Indigenous artists (Jason Carter (Canmore), Susan Point (Vancouver), Heather Shillinglaw (Edmonton), and Carey Newman (Victoria)). While familiar with two of the artists' works quite well, I was really looking forward to this opportunity to get to know more about the five other amazing Indigenous artists. Here are very short snapshots of all the artists who contributed to the Total Aboriginal Trail:

1. Treasure Cooper is a self-taught Metis artist who is a staple in many local art shows and volunteers for the Metis community from arts and crafts with children to beautiful mixed mediums and paintings.
2. Frederick McDonald, who's name you should definitely recognize is the most revered artist and poet in the region. His family inhabited McDonald Island itself, and he was born in Fort McMurray. In his early years they lived along the Athabasca River following the traditional way of life of his ancestors. Hunting and trapping was an important part of his life until finishing high school. He then worked in the oil industry and after many years left his home to travel and to pursue an Arts degree at the University of Calgary. Frederick's work is concerned about the written and visual history of his people in Canada; he believes it is time the Aboriginal people tell their own story.
3. Christopher Hamacher is a bit of an unknown to me but I'm looking forward to seeing his future work. His sculpture of the Elder discovering the Great Truth is captivating.
4. Jason Carter is one of my favourite sculptor and painters on the planet and hails from Little Red River Cree Nation. I had the opportunity about a decade ago to attend the opening of the Nanabozho Trickster Rabbit show in Edmonton. His detailed but minimalist approach allows him to communicate humour and beauty so clearly.
5. Susan Point is a descendant of the Musqueam people. She draws inspiration from the stories of her ancestors and commences the use of non-traditional materials and techniques, therefore inspiring a whole new generation of artists. Her bench is one of my favourite pieces of this installation, people have an opportunity to interact and contemplate the love that they are surrounded with.
6. Heather Shillinglaw, is a Metis artist from Edmonton who shares the knowledge of her proud heritage and the lessons she’s learned from her Elders, grandparents and those she’s met in her travels to far-away places. The abalone shell is done with such beauty and grace, it is the one piece that holds the most mystery for me.
7. Carey Newman is a Kwagiulth artist. A dedicated artist, Carey's goal is to follow the footpaths of his mentors: his father, for his belief in artistic integrity, quality, and self-respect, and Bill Reid, for his ability with many mediums. The Humble Frog shows continual respect and honest introspection, and reminds me of the scorpion and the frog story, that speaks to pride's downfall and the need for humility.

Art inspires dialogue and change, just what we need for reconciliation. One of the highlights of today's walk was the opportunity to meet two wonderful women and discuss reconciliation and a little bit of history. I think of other walks we take, where I likely wouldn't have stopped and had a meaningful conversation about the art along the way.