Trudeau’s choice of artwork is significant to Indigenous peoples, says artist

March 14, 2016.

Leo Arcand’s voice shakes with emotion when he talks about having his work presented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to United States President Barack Obama.

“It’s really significant and really means a lot to our people. I’m sure it’s a small thing for the (government leaders), but our people are really embracing this moment,” said Arcand. The artist is from the Alexander First Nation but now calls Driftpile First Nation home.

Last Thursday morning, Arcand received news from the Bear Claw Art Gallery that his soapstone sculpture, entitled “Courage,” had been gifted by Trudeau to Obama on the prime minister’s state visit to the United States.

The piece was selected by the Canada Gift Bank, of the federal government, about a month ago from the downtown Edmonton gallery. Hope Wright says the gallery, which has been in operation for 41 years, was contacted by someone, who had been looking at the gallery’s website. Bear Claw was instructed to send additional photos of the pieces that had piqued the Gift Bank’s interest. Arcand’s work was the only one selected. Initially, the gallery didn’t know it was the for the Prime Minister’s Office. Wright said they were told that if the piece were presented to a world leader, the gallery would be notified and could tell the artist.

Wright, who has been with gallery for 11 years, says Bear Claw Art Gallery has been carrying Arcand’s work for 15 to 20 years. She points out that his work is often purchased by corporations for special occasion gifts or by businesses for retirement gifts. 

Indigenous artists are finally getting the recognition they deserve, she says.

“I think the fact that Prime Minister Trudeau chose an Indigenous piece of artwork to present speaks volumes,” she said. “To get that out there, into the spotlight … Indigenous artwork is getting brought to the forefront where it really should be.”

Even more now since Arcand’s selection, she says.

Arcand says that it was an appropriate piece to be chosen as a gift from one leader to another as “Courage” stands for hope, love, understanding, and humanity.

The eagle head, representing Mother Earth, and woman’s half face, representing humans, symbolize “working together as one in spirit,” said Arcand. The negative space represents message from the spirit and “we don’t know what the spirit looks like.” Arcand created the piece in January.

Interestingly, the first piece Arcand ever carved was an eagle head in soapstone. He carved it on the balcony of his St. Albert apartment on the day of his daughter’s birth 25 years ago.

“I instinctively knew what I had to do with the stone,” he said. Arcand works in soapstone, alabaster, marble and granite.

Arcand says his artist friends have been generous in their congratulations.

“Some of them have been at it longer than me and they’re telling me this is one break artists can only dream of,” he said. “What are the odds of one your pieces being selected to be gifted to one of the most important world leaders? It still blows my mind.”

Will this be the highlight of his entire career?

“That’s a really good question,” said Arcand. “It’s been a really interesting few days. For now, I think, this is good enough for me. I’m going to absorb it. It’s not every day that one carving is going to take you global, everything going viral. In a matter of hours, everyone knew who Leo Arcand was.”