Contemporary Indigenous Art
September 28 - October 4, 2013
Convocation Hall (2nd floor, Wesley Hall)
Exhibit hours:
September 28 & 29: 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
September 30 - October 4: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
As part of ArtsFest 2013 - Cultural Treasures, The University of Winnipeg is pleased to present the exhibition Contemporary Indigenous Art in the University's beautifully restored Convocation Hall, located on the second floor of Wesley Hall (the castle building that faces Portage Avenue).
From September 28 - October 4, 2013, the public will be able to view selected artworks from the University's Art and Anthropology Museum collections created by established Indigenous artists.
Over the past forty years, The University of Winnipeg has been fortunate to acquire, either through purchase or donation, the work of several accomplished Indigenous artists and this exhibition sets out to acknowledge the artistic contributions of these talented individuals.
First organized for Convocation Hall in May of 2010, the exhibition has evolved over time and, for ArtsFest 2013, it will expand to include the addition of several sculptures.
Visitors will also be treated to a first-hand look at stunning prints and paintings by Kenojuak Ashevak, Cyril Assiniboine, Jackson Beardy, Eddie Cobiness, Daphne Odjig, Roy Thomas, Simon Tookoome, David B. Williams, Linus Woods and others. Highlights include two large-scale silkscreen images, The Squaw Man and Nanabajou and his Daughter, by renowned Ojibway artist Daphne Odjig. A leader and innovator in the history of contemporary Indigenous art, Odjig and fellow artists Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray and Joseph Sanchez founded Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporated in 1973. Popularly referred to as the “Indian Group of Seven”, these pioneers of contemporary First Nations art began creating distinctly unique paintings and prints in the 1950s and 1960s. The artists often used bright colours and depicted stylized images of people, animals, spirits and the earth to interpret the oral history and legends of their Cree and Ojibway heritage. Decades later Dakota Ojibway artist Linus Woods emerged with his own unique style of art, exemplified in Jade Elk to Jack Rabbit #2 and Red Baby Prophecy, in which he portrays the stories of his people in strokes of lush hues.
Through their creations, the artists in this exhibition share aspects of contemporary and traditional Indigenous cultures with viewers. The University is proud to be the caretaker of these significant artworks and we are pleased to share them with the public in this exhibition.
For more information, contact:
Jennifer Gibson
Director/Curator
Gallery 1C03
The University of Winnipeg
515 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9
Ph: 204.786.9253
F: 204.774.4134
E: j.gibson@uwinnipeg.ca