Contemporary Aboriginal art showcased in downtown gallery

As a young man, Dale Belcourt went through a difficult period. Born in the Lesser Slave Lake area, he spent much of his childhood passed between families in Vancouver. But it was when he returned to Alberta at the age of 14 that his life began spinning out of control and he was in and out of institutions. It was in one of those institutions that he discovered he could paint. His art work mirrors his life’s journey.

“Back then I was troubled myself and basically that’s what my art showed. I wanted to show the separation between the Native world and the non-Native world, show all these emotions. But now as I got older, I’m starting to get calmer and I want you to be able to look at my paintings and be calm, relaxed,” said Belcourt.

Belcourt’s pain is depicted in his 1984 painting “Out in the Cold,” which shows a log cabin filled with light and a lone figure standing in the snow looking in. The window frame casts a cross in the snow but it does not reach the figure, who huddles outside.

Today Belcourt paints landscapes, wildlife and birds.
“I do scenery now that shows more kind of peace and harmony for me,” he said.

“Out in the Cold” is one of 20 or so paintings by a dozen Alberta Aboriginal artists, which comprises kiyas aspin, which will be on display at the Enterprise Square Galleries until May 24. The exhibit opened on March 27 in conjunction with the seventh and final national event for the Truth and Reconciliation commission, held in Edmonton.

The art displayed is only a small representation of about 200 pieces that Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada owns and which comprises the full body of work undertaken by the Indian Arts and Crafts Society of Alberta. The society operated between 1975 and 1992, when funding cuts forced it to close its doors. The work was to be auctioned off a piece at a time, but a handful of artists protested, forcing the federal government to step in and purchase the full collection. It has been over a decade since the work has been displayed in a single dedicated exhibit. Kiyas aspin is Cree for “it’s been a long time since.”

“The title came from a talk I had when I interviewed Jane Ash Poitras and she had said to me, ‘It’s been a long time since everything was beautiful and it was all about making art,’” said Dawn Marie Marchand, who was tasked by AANDC to pull together information for the exhibit.

Marchand is proud of the collection and the variety of subjects depicted within the frames. She regrets the loss of the Indian Arts and Crafts Society, noting that the society advocated for Indigenous artists, providing them with grants and loans as well as space to display their work.

“If you follow contemporary Aboriginal art… our art forms are dynamic. They are constantly pushing the envelope. But having said that, they are also still anchored in our culture, faith, and tradition. It’s hard to say what is Aboriginal art because when you do that you almost put yourself in a box. And so many of our artists aren’t in that box anymore,” said Marchand, herself a contemporary artist.

Belcourt says he is “very honoured” to have his work in a collection that involves Poitras, Joane Cardinal-Schubert, Edward Harpe, Faye Heavy Shield, Alex Janvier, George Littlechild, Ann McLean, Kimowan Metchewais, Ken Swan, Sam Warrior, and Lauren I. Wuttunee.

“This is 20 year old art here. Can you imagine what they’re going to see if they opened up the doors to us today?” asked Marchand.