to be reckoned with…

David Garneau, Canadian Flag/Flower, 2005,

Complementing the historical representations of First Nations peoples in James Henderson: Wicite Owapi Wicasa, this exhibition will showcase some of the MacKenzie Art Gallery’s most recent acquisitions to the permanent collection. Pivotal works produced by five influential contemporary First Nations and Métis artists will be brought together in consideration of questions about history, identity and colonialism.

Together the artists’ individual investigations into the realities of colonization and the effects of contact speak of a history of interaction: the pre- and post-contact relations that have informed and shaped Canadian history and contemporary culture. Ultimately, the exhibition is about reconciling what is truly relevant about the past with what is important about the present, and creating a dialogue which will enable the co-existence of future generations.