Celebrated Indigenous artists come together for grassroots art event

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY— Northern Superior artists Candace Twance and Christian Chapman recently enjoyed sharing their art along with three other Indigenous artists at the Niibin Art Viewing and Sale on July 20 in Thunder Bay.

“It’s just been open for an hour and so many people have come through and lots of art has been sold,” says Twance, an artist from Pic Mobert. “We’re having a great turnout. We didn’t know what to expect — it’s kind of like a grassroots open house-type of event, so we are very happy.”

Twance created some smaller art pieces incorporating geometric colourful designs with a night sky and some Ojibwe floral designs specifically for the art show.

“People seem to like it and I’m really happy,” Twance says. “I try to paint designs that my grandmother would typically bead. They’ve been received very well.”

Twance says she has been on a hiatus from her art while pursuing post-secondary studies at Lakehead University.

“I’m kind of jumping back into showing more often and creating new series,” Twance says. “I think I’ve got a good balance now at this point, so I’m going to be showing a lot more and creating a lot more.”

Twance says it was “so much fun” to prepare for the art show with the other artists.

“We’re all from the same area and we kind of combine traditional yet contemporary practices,” Twance says. “We all seem to gravitate towards that and we are already all friends, so it is nice to come together, spend time but also invite the community to come through and view the work and be able to talk to the artists.”

Chapman, an artist from Fort William First Nation, was also pleased with the turnout at the art show, where he showed some of his Indigenous screen prints.

“It’s been really great actually,” says Chapman, who recently returned from a five-day artist-in-resident program at Point Pelee National Park in southern Ontario. “It was pretty good — I was there for five days. The park was beautiful.”

Shaun Hedican, who used to live in Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek but now lives in Thunder Bay, enjoyed working with the other artists to host the art show.

“We thought it would be a great idea to create a space where celebrated artists could come together and show whatever work they liked and make it available for the public,” Hedican says. “I have everything from mixed media work to paintings, acrylic on canvas. We had some textile work by Shelby Gagnon and screen prints by Christian Chapman as well as beadwork by Jean Marshall and every kind of media and style you can imagine.”

Gagnon, an artist from Aroland, enjoyed meeting with the people who attended the art show, where she showed some of her previous art pieces, including her Heart Berry, Mind and Body, Fire Within and Mahkwa art pieces.

“It was very nice — good vibes and good energy,” Gagnon says. “I saw a lot of familiar faces. It’s nice to connect with people I haven’t seen since I was in school — I graduated from Lakehead [University] on the Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts.”

Marshall, an artist from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, also enjoyed the art show, where she showed some of her beaded earrings, framed beadwork and moccasins.

“I think people are really receptive to this,” Marshall says. “I’ve been to some of these in town before and they’re fun. It’s a fun way to bring people together.”