The MacKenzie Art Gallery is pleased to present Beads in the Blood / mīgisak mīgohk: A Ruth Cuthand Retrospective, a major exhibition of the acclaimed Plains Cree/Scottish artist Ruth Cuthand, whose narrative-driven artwork has profoundly shaped contemporary art in Canada. Running from 2 November 2024 to 28 March 2025, this exhibition marks the first full-career retrospective of Cuthand’s extensive body of work, featuring work that spans her career from 1983 to 2024. Curated by Felicia Gay, Beads in the Blood showcases beading, video, mixed-media installations, paintings, and photography, tracing Cuthand’s evolution as an artist and her contributions to Indigenous contemporary art.

Ruth Cuthand, a Little Pine Cree Nation member of the Little Pine Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, is widely recognized as one of Canada’s foremost contemporary artists. Over nearly four decades, she has challenged historical and contemporary colonial narratives with sharp wit and deep empathy, presenting a candid and often critical view of what it means to be Indigenous and a woman in Canada. Cuthand’s use of beads as a medium, particularly through her renowned Trading Series (2009), has become central to her artistic practice. The exhibition will highlight her mastery of beadwork, a traditional technique to confront colonization, health crises, and survival. Reflecting on the importance of storytelling in Cree culture and Cuthand’s work, curator Felicia Gay explains, “Stories live within us, germinating in each child, stories with umbilical cords feeding a mother’s heart. You hear people say it is your blood memory; the stories will come to you in dreams if you are meant to have them. They say the stories live on in our language and on our faces.”

Beads in the Blood invites audiences to engage with Cuthand’s personal and political explorations of Indigenous history and experience. Featured works include iconic pieces such as Trading Series (2009) and Don’t Breathe, Don’t Drink (2016), as well as new pieces created specifically for the exhibition. These works bridge traditional Cree knowledge and modern techniques, underscoring Cuthand’s ability to transform the bead into a living storyteller—a keeper of history, resilience, and survival.

Cuthand’s art extends beyond gallery walls, influencing generations of Indigenous artists as a mentor, educator, and advocate for women and IBPOC communities. Her work is held in prestigious collections such as the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario, and she has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the 2020 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts and the 2021 University of Saskatchewan Lifetime Achievement Award.

As Cuthand’s long-time collaborator, curator Felicia Gay brings a deep understanding of Cuthand’s work, Cree storytelling traditions, and Indigenous curatorial practice to this exhibition. Beads in the Blood is not just a reflection on Ruth Cuthand’s extraordinary career but a communal story that speaks to the resilience and knowledge passed down through generations.

ABOUT THE MACKENZIE

Located in Treaty 4 territory, the MacKenzie Art Gallery is Saskatchewan’s oldest public art gallery, with a 50-year history of championing Indigenous art from Indigenous perspectives. The MacKenzie embraces its unique position within the Canadian and international art landscape, celebrating the diverse perspectives of all artists within the plains region and Canada. It has a focus on Indigenous and contemporary art, contextualized through select historic and international work.

MEDIA CONTACT

Angela Lackey

Communications Coordinator

MacKenzie Art Gallery

alackey@mackenzie.art

(306)-584-4250 x4271

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