Moving Forward, Never Forgetting

Moving Forward, Never Forgetting

February 28 – April 19, 2015

Friday, February 27 Opening Celebration: 7:30 PM, Free Admission.
Friday, February 27 Peter Morin Performance: 4 – 8 PM, Free Admission.
Saturday, February 28 Curator Walkthrough: 2 PM, Free Admission.

Moving Forward, Never Forgetting offers a space for intercultural dialogue and storytelling. The exhibition and related events encourage sharing, empathy, and deeper understanding of what it means for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to co-reside in these territories.  Newly commissioned works and performances, as well as significant pieces from the MacKenzie’s permanent collection, are accompanied by living speakers—Story Keepers—a new initiative at the Gallery, whose role is to assist visitors in learning about the stories behind the art works, and to collect stories from visitors. This project features residencies with artists Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Adrian Stimson, and Peter Morin.

Moving Forward, Never Forgetting engages the personal, intergenerational, and intercultural effects of the aggressive assimilation of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The participating artists wrestle with the cumulative effects of Residential Schools, public schools, out-of-culture adoptions, land and language loss, and other generational deprivations. Their work presents a stark picture of how these government policies distorted their lives, ties with family, and relationships with neighbours, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. At the same time, these works offer glimpses of hope: examples of cross-cultural friendship, family sharing, and cultural continuance.

Co-curated by David Garneau and Michelle LaVallee, the exhibition gathers beautiful, haunting, homey, occasionally humorous, but always moving testimonies of resilience. Among the leading contemporary First Nations, Métis and allied artists featured in the project are: Michael Belmore, Leah Decter, Audrey Dreaver, Julianne Herney, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Terrance Houle, Jaimie Isaac, Peter Morin, Skeena Reece, Sandra Semchuk, and Adrian Stimson.

Organized by the MacKenzie Art Gallery with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, SaskCulture, the City of Regina, and the University of Regina. Brought to you with funding assistance from SaskCulture Inc., thanks to the Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $157 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil  a investi 157 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays. This project received substantial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant: “Creative Conciliation,” Keavy Martin principal researcher.

Moving Forward, Never Forgetting Forum

Please join us on Saturday, March 28, 2015 for a forum in conjunction with the Moving Forward, Never Forgetting exhibition currently on view at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. As a gathering for all people interested in forging ideas and creative partnerships, this forum will explore possible futures for Indigenous creative production and curation. This engaging morning will feature a presentation by Megan Tamati-Quennell (New Zealand), a tour of Moving Forward, Never Forgetting, and a performance by artist Julianne Beaudin Herney. All are welcome, admission is free.

Artist Residencies

Peter Morin: February 23 – February 27, 2015

Performances:

• Friday, February 27, 2015 – MacKenzie Art Gallery: 4 – 8 pm
• Friday, March 27, 2015 – MacKenzie Art Gallery: 4:15 – 5:15 pm

Cheryl L’Hirondelle: March 11 – March 25, 2015

Performance: Saturday March 21, 2015 – City of Regina Sportplex: 9 am – 4 pm

Adrian Stimson: March 16 – March 20

Performances:

• Tuesday, March 17, 2015 – Research & Innovation Centre Atrium: 12 – 4pm
• Wednesday, March 18, 2015 – Research & Innovation Centre Atrium: 12 – 4pm
• Thursday, March 19, 2015 – Riddell Centre “crush space”: 12 – 4pm
• Friday, March 20, 2015 – Riddell Centre 050 11:30am – 12 pm

Story Keepers

Brad Bellegarde

Melanie Monique Rose

Janine Windolph

Artists

Michael Belmore, Rebecca Belmore, David Benjoe, Leah Decter, Audrey Dreaver, Faye HeavyShield, Julianne Beaudin Herney, Terrance Houle, Jaimie Isaac, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Amy Malbeuf, Peter Morin, Jane Ash Poitras, Skeena Reece, Sandra Semchuk, Adrian Stimson, Dylan Miner

Michael Belmore, Smoulder, 2010-2011 (detail), carved stone, gilded copper. MacKenzie Art Gallery, University of Regina Collection, 2013. Image: Courtesy of the Artist.