Radical Stitch

30 April 2022 – 25 September 2022

About the Exhibition

Curated By

SHERRY FARRELL RACETTE, MICHELLE LAVALLEE & CATHY MATTES

Organized & Circulated By

The MacKenzie Art Gallery

Galleries

The Sim and Kenderdine Galleries

RADICAL STITCH  IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EXHIBITIONS OF CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS BEADING ACROSS NORTH AMERICA EVER PRESENTED.

Beading is one of the defining mediums of contemporary Indigenous art on this continent, and this landmark exhibition will bring much needed critical attention to the breadth and impact of this practice.

Radical Stitch looks at the contemporary and transformative context of beading through the aesthetic innovations of artists and the tactile beauty of beads. Beading materials and techniques are rooted in both culturally informed traditions and cultural adaptation, and function as a place of encounter, knowledge transfer, and acts of resistance. Connecting to a tradition of making, exercised over thousands of years, this skill-based practice ties one artist to another, past to present and beyond. The exhibition includes a range of work from the customary to the contemporary, with a variety of approaches, concepts, and purposes. Gathering together top artists from across North America/Turtle Island, the selected pieces exemplify current and future directions of some of the most exciting and impressive practices. The works in Radical Stitch invite viewers to immerse themselves in the political, creative, and aesthetic dimensions of beadwork.

Touring Details

Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON: 11 February, 2023 – 27 August, 2023

Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, ON: 13 October, 2023 – 3 March, 2024

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON: 17 May, 2024 — 20 October, 2024

Radical Stitch is Generously Presented By

Artists in the Exhibition

BARRY ACE
MARCUS AMERMAN
JUDY ANDERSON
KRISTEN AUGER
KAYLYN BAKER
CHRISTI BELCOURT
MICHAEL BELMORE
CATHERINE BLACKBURN
KATHERINE BOYER
MARCIA CHICKENESS
HANNAH CLAUS
DANA CLAXTON
JON MICHAEL CORBETT
RUTH CUTHAND
VANESSA DION FLETCHER
MARCY FRIESEN

Teri Greeves
Joyce Growing Thunder
Justine Gustafson
Babe & Carla Hemlock
Maria Hupfield
Lizzie Ittinuar
Bev Koski
Jennine Krauchi
Jackie Larson Bread
Mindy Laureen Magyar
Amy Malbeuf
Jean Marshall
Audie Murray
Nadia Myre
Margaret Nazon
Candace Neumann

Shelley Niro
Elias Not Afraid
Jamie Okuma
Sandra Okuma
Taqralik Partridge
Summer Peters
Memory Poni-Cappo
Alesia & Farlan Quetawki
Skawennati
Samuel Thomas
Marie Watt
Olivia Whetung
Dyani White Hawk
Kenneth Williams Jr.
Nico Williams
Will Wilson

Works in the Exhibition

Installation view at the MacKenzie Art Gallery of 2022 exhibition

Installation view, Radical Stitch, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2022. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Installation view at the MacKenzie Art Gallery of 2022 exhibition

Installation view, Radical Stitch, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2022. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Installation view at the MacKenzie Art Gallery of 2022 exhibition

Installation view, Radical Stitch, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2022. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Photo of Ruth Cuthland's

Ruth Cuthand, Brain Scan Series, glass beads, thread, backing, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2022. Indigenous Art Collection, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Photo of Jennine Krauchi's

Jennine Krauchi, Beaded coat/muff/hat, 2022, fabric, fur, beads. Collection of the artist. MacKenzie Art Gallery, 2022. Photo by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Photo of Jean Marshall's

Jean Marshall, Gitigan | Garden, Bandolier Bag, 2015, glass beads, ribbon, metal jingles, wool cloth, ric rac. Indigenous Art Collection, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. MacKenzie Art Gallery, 2022. Photo by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Installation view at the MacKenzie Art Gallery of 2022 exhibition

Installation view, Radical Stitch, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2022. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Installation view at the MacKenzie Art Gallery of 2022 exhibition

Installation view, Radical Stitch, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2022. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Walkthrough Video

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