Wall pocket by an unknown Gwich’in artist, Yukon, pre-1901, is an example of the dispersal of Métis style beading throughout the far north, which accelerated after the Riel Rebellion. From the Hudson’s Bay Company Collection.
- Friday, January 6, 2017
- 12:00pm – 1:00pm
- MAWA, 611 Main Street
In the Ojibwe language, beads are grammatically animate and beadwork artists often say that to work with them you must speak to them. They will understand. Anyone who has beaded will know that beads can be willful and yet, when they wish to cooperate, the result can be astonishingly beautiful. Beads speak volumes. Bandolier bags, leggings, moccasins, jackets, wall pockets, bridles, saddles and tea cozies tell of the astonishing technical skills of Indigenous women. They instantiate the talent of Indigenous women and argue powerfully for a place in the art conversation for these inspired artists—past and present. Drawing upon the Manitoba Museum’s extensive collection, this “show and tell” lecture will bring artifacts to MAWA to illustrate the rich history of Indigenous beading.
Free admission, everyone welcome!
-
Until this spring, Dr. Maureen Matthews was the Curator of Cultural Anthropology at the Manitoba Museum, where she made Indigenous collections accessible to artists. She developed beading and quillwork “skills repatriation” projects, actively creating opportunities for museum artefacts to become teachers and mentors. Her recent collaboration with local Métis artists resulted in a large multimedia piece in Storied Objects: Métis Art in Relation at Saskatoon’s Remai Modern.
