Rooted in Relations

June 2 - August 1, 2025
Opening reception: Monday, June 2, 3:00 to 5:00 pm

Rooted in Relations is an exhibition of works from the University of Winnipeg’s art collection created by eight Inuit and First Nations artists. The exhibition is curated by Indigenous and non-Indigenous students of UWinnipeg’s Indigenous Theory and Curatorial Practices course (GENG-7820/HIST-4833), taught by Associate Professor, History of Art, Dr. Cathy Mattes. The exhibition reflects the core principles and teachings of the course which includes continuous learning, engagement with Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and decolonial practices.

Rooted in Relations emerges from the interwoven threads of familial ties, braided together through storytelling and visual imagery centering relationality and kinship. It is grounded in a central theme: pre-existing, inherited, and continuous bodies of Indigenous knowledges that incubate fortitude and pride, traversing and distributing through a root’s system of reciprocal, interdependent relations between all life forms. Rooted in Relations decenters and challenges the colonial notion that relationality is only viable in human-to-human form. It reinforces the Indigenous understanding that kinship lives and thrives in the interconnectivity of all living things: land, water, plants, animals, ancestors, spirits, Creator and communities.

Rooted in Relations offers a holistic journey through time, relationships, and ongoing acts of building, attracting and nurturing kin and community. Centered within this unyielding and resilient cycle, we are reminded that we are defined by our relations, and our relations are the roots from which the network of life originates and circulates.

ABOUT THE CURATORIAL COLLECTIVE

Rooted in Relations is co-curated by a collective of University of Winnipeg undergraduate and graduate students within the GENG-7820/HIST-4833: Indigenous Theory and Curatorial Practices course, taught by Dr. Cathy Mattes during the Spring 2025 term. This diverse cohort shares an expansive background, spanning the disciplines of Education, History, Art History, Business, Women and Gender Studies, Cultural Studies, and Indigenous Studies. Under the guidance of Dr. Cathy Mattes and Gallery 1C03’s Director/Curator Jennifer Gibson, the collective navigates their curation alongside conversations of Indigenous Theory and Curation Practices, reflecting on kinship ties that extend farther than human to human relationships. Curatorial team members are Shivanya Ra (she/they), Bridget Nattress (she/her), Laine Cosby (she/her), Margaret Firlotte (she/her), Mahlet Cuff (they/them), Brad Blackbird (Anishinaabe, Two-Spirit, he/him), Krishma Sodhi (she/her), Breanna Markiewicz (she/her), Wyatt Chanowski (he/him), and Moeen Didehban (he/him). They seek to add to the evolving dialogue and practices of Indigenous curation.

EXHIBITION HOURS
Monday - Friday between 1:00 and 4:00 pm from June 2 to August 1, 2025 Closed July 1.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Gallery 1C03 is located on Treaty One Territory, heartland of the Red River Métis, and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Ininew, Anishininew, Dakota Oyate, and Denesuline. We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.

We wish to express our appreciation to the University of Winnipeg Department of History and the Office of Indigenous Engagement for their support of this project.

GETTING HERE AND ACCESSIBILITY
Maps of The University of Winnipeg campus, including accessibility and parking maps, can be found at https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/maps/. The Gallery is located on the main floor of Centennial Hall at 515 Portage Avenue. Accessible, street level visitor entrances with auto door openers and ramps are via Portage Avenue, Ellice Avenue and Spence Street. The gallery doors are equipped with auto-openers. There is a gender-neutral, accessible washroom less than 100 feet from the Gallery entrance. Our exhibitions and affiliated events are free to everyone.