Mix of contemporary, historical Indigenous craftwork in Winnipeg exhibit shows art 'still living and thriving'

A new exhibit in Winnipeg blends the old with the new to show that while Indigenous craftwork has a rich history, it's also still very much a living artform.

The exhibit, called Gathering, features Indigenous beadwork, embroidery and quillwork from five contemporary artists alongside pieces from the collections of 11 Manitoba museums — with some items dating back to the 1800s.

Mixing contemporary pieces in with the historical ones is an important element of the exhibit, says Margaret Firlotte, a Red River Michif artist and the exhibit's project manager.

"This art form is not gone, it's not archaic, it's not archived. It's still living and thriving today," she said.

The exhibit — presented by the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library in partnership with the Ross House Museum — also offers a rare opportunity to see some of the historical work on display. 

Smaller museums in Manitoba often have Indigenous craftwork that's not on permanent display, or which requires a one-on-one appointment to view, Firlotte said.

"We wanted to honour those pieces, and bring them to light, and just give them the proper space and respect that they deserve."

Andrea Reichert, the exhibit's curator, said an important part of the outreach for it included informal viewing sessions of the pieces for Indigenous communities.

"It was an opportunity for them to see it up close, to compare things side by side," she told CBC.

Preparation for the exhibit began about a year ago, but Firlotte said she wouldn't call her work on it a "labour of love."

"Labour is the wrong word, because if you enjoy beadwork, working alongside with these pieces and with the communities, then it's not really work," she said.

Putting the exhibit together involved extensive research and outreach to museums and Indigenous communities in western and northern Manitoba.

Artwork from museums in Dauphin, Portage la Prairie, Souris, The Pas and Winnipegosis is displayed in the exhibit, alongside works from several Winnipeg museums. 

The exhibit, which opened on March 3, has drawn visitors from Alberta and British Columbia who came just to see the artwork, along with strong local support, said Firlotte.

"Opening night, just seeing the community come together to welcome and celebrate these pieces, it was really great. It just made it all worth it, for sure."

Exhibit may help put names to work

The exhibit is the first time Tashina Houle-Schlup's work has been displayed in an art show. Her quilled moccasins are called Abinoojiiyens Makizinan, which translates to "baby moccasins" in Anishinaabemowin.

The Ebb and Flow First Nation member has been making quillwork since she was a child. She began to sell her pieces as a teenager, but never imagined being featured in an art exhibit.

"It's kind of a surreal feeling and it makes me want to do more of these," she said.

The mix of contemporary and historical pieces in the exhibit shows that Indigenous crafts aren't going anywhere, Houle-Schlup told CBC.

"Quillwork is still thriving. There was a point where quillwork was nearly disappearing."

Her moccasins were made in honour of Indigenous children, "as they are the future of our people," says Houle-Schlup's artist statement, as well as in "remembrance of our babies and children that were lost to residential school."

Reichert says in addition to offering historical perspective, the exhibit may also help curators learn more about some of the pieces.

The names of the artists behind many of the historical pieces — such as an embroidered smoked-hide jacket made by women from Norway House between 1910 and 1920 — have been lost, which is not uncommon, Reichert said.

QR codes are displayed throughout the exhibit that will let people submit any information they may have on the historical pieces or the artists behind them.

"When the works go back to the different museums, the research that we've collected will go back to those museums as well," said Reichert.

"Reconciliation and decolonization is an important part of the museum community, and being able to interpret the works with correct information is a really important first step."

Public programming and a long-term website with photos and research collected on the pieces are also part of the exhibit.

The exhibit has a particular focus on pieces made before or around the early 1900s, because the artistic patterns from that era contain many cultural, familial and regional ties, according to Firlotte.

"You're able to tell which pattern comes from which community, which is really cool," she said. "You're able to tell if a piece is probably more Métis than it is Dakota, or if it's Cree or Anishinaabe."

Response to the exhibit has been fantastic, said Reichert.

"All of the people who come have just been blown away by the work, and the breadth of it, and seeing it all in one place."

Gathering is on display at the C2 Centre for Craft at 329 Cumberland Ave. until April 29.