Studio Sunday: Bones of a Story/Sticks to a Painting

Edward Poitras is a painter, sculptor, performance artist, and choreographer. He uses paint, sticks, bones, rocks, and other found materials to make his artworks. Through his art, he challenges what we think we know about the history of the place we’re in today and the people who’ve been living here for thousands of years. Edward Poitras is Métis, which means he has both Indigenous and European ancestry. He was born in Oskana kâ-asastêki / Regina. His artworks are usually about his ancestors’ long history on this land. He rarely tells us exactly what his artworks are about. And even when he does, his stories can change over time. Sometimes, he makes changes to his artworks to tell his stories in new ways.

ABOUT TREATY 4

The buffalo are very important to Indigenous people, and they were plentiful on this land. Buffalo provide food, shelter, and nearly every other material need. When European settlers arrived, they killed so many buffalo that life became very difficult for Indigenous people. To help protect their people and their land, the Indigenous people signed an agreement with the Canadian government. This was a sacred agreement called a treaty. Treaty 4 was signed at Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan 150 years ago. Edward Poitras’s great-great-grandfather, Pierre Poitras, witnessed the signing of the Treaty on September 15, 1874. We are all Treaty people. Although the promises made in the treaties have not all been kept, we can work together towards fulfilling them.

For more information about treaties, visit otc.ca.

Make a painting with natural materials found near the gallery about a family story.

MATERIALS

• Canvas board
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brushes
• Drawing materials (pencils, erasers, etc.)
• Found natural materials (twigs, flowers, etc.)
• White glue

STEP 1

Think about stories you’ve been told or anything you know about your family’s history, where you grew up, and where your family is from.

Pick a story or put a couple of stories together. Make a pencil drawing before painting or start your painting right away as you think about the stories you picked.

STEP 2

As you’re working, choose natural materials to add to your painting. Add as little or as much of these materials to help tell your story. Use glue to make sure the objects stay in place.