Art and Design

Indigenous artists’ exhibit and sale at Macaulay Church

Back in 2014, Tyendinaga artist Narda Julg had a vision to somehow connect the artists on one side of the Skyway Bridge to the artists on the other side. She curated an Indigenous artists’ show in Tyendinaga that year and for the following three years before being invited to curate a similar show at the Macaulay Church Museum in 2018 after the installation of a permanent Indigenous exhibit at that location. That show and one the following year were very well received and Narda felt that she had done what she set out to accomplish, and was not really planning a third show. Then the COVID-19 pandemic descended and created in some ways an “artistic desert”, with shows being postponed or cancelled outright. During that time she had met the Mohawk artist Ahsén:nase, and fell in love with his work. So this past January she started planning another exhibit and sale that would prominently feature Ahsén:nase’s paintings. The show opened last Saturday and will run until August 11. Fourteen Indigenous artists are featured in the show, including Narda herself.

Ahsén:nase with his painting Seven Generations.

The guest artist, Ahsén:nase, is originally from Kahnawà: ke, near Montreal and is self-taught, painting Indigenous subjects in a classical Renaissance style. He had a natural talent for painting and drawing, and has been painting in oils since the age of 12. He started a fine arts degree at York University, but only lasted about a year in the program because it was not teaching him the methods he wanted to learn. Instead, he obtained a degree in social sciences and then went to Humber College for a degree in visual design and photography.

He eventually came back to creating fine art, using classical techniques for portraits of Indigenous people. “My interest is in portraying Indigenous people, the way they are now, portraying social issues and the things that are happening right now that we are concerned with,” he said. “Some of the ideas I have will centre on our form of spirituality, the way we view our world. I’m trying to stay away from what is typically called a stereotype for Indigenous work, which is the Woodland style or Spirit paintings.” He added that Indigenous art is often considered by non-Indigenous people to be folk art or craft, instead of fine art. “I think that Indigenous artists are within an ‘artistic reservation’, placed within this boundary and not allowed to go outside that box,” he said. There are some artists who have broken through, and Ahsén:nase cites Kent Monkman, but the commercial market is heavily biased towards the stereotypical look. “You need a certain amount of self-confidence to move forward in that way. The more people I come in contact with that see the work I create, they will know that Indigenous artists are not only creating those stereotypes of work.”

County Museums Curator Jessica Chase was pleased to once again to be able to offer the museum space to Narda for her show. “The Museums are thrilled to host the seventh incarnation of the Indigenous Artists’ Exhibit and Sale (third time in this space), and to play a small role in strengthening the relationship between the artistic communities in PEC and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Narda has been a wonderful friend and partner to the museums, and the connections that we have made through this partnership continue to enrich our museum spaces, and make them more inclusive in regard to the stories they preserve and share with our community,” said Chase. Both previous shows at Macaulay Church were very well received, and if the opening night reception was any indication, this one will be as well. “The response from the community has been heartwarming, in the buildup over the last three years, and that gives me joy,” said Narda. The Exhibit and Sale is open every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. until August 11.