Exhibit celebrates heritage

Page 11

The rich, colorful and vibrant history of southern Alberta's Aboriginal people comes alive through an exhibition of portraits by artist Nicholas de Grandmaison that will debut in Edmonton this fall.

Living Images from the Past is an exhibit of 30 portraits and artifacts that will be displayed at the Provincial Archives of Alberta Gallery from October 17 to March 29, 1998.

Born in Russia in 1892 to an aristocratic French family, de Grandmaison emigrated to Canada in 1923. He moved to southern Alberta and developed a strong attachment to the Aboriginal people he chose as subjects for his art.

"All the sorrow, oppression and history of their race is indelibly written on their faces. I love them as fellow brothers. They have character, color and history in their blood," said de Grandmaison.

Nicholas de Grandmaison is renowned for his portraits of Native people, for which he was made an honorary chief of the Peigan Tribe and given the Blackfoot name of Eenuk-Sahpo'p (Little Plume).

He has been awarded the Order of Canada for his work.

His work presents the history of the Indigenous people of southern Alberta in colorful, living images.

The artwork and artifacts for Living Images from the Past were donated to the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery by the de Grandmaison family. The exhibition was made possible by Alberta Community Development and the University of Lethbridge.

The Provincial Archives of Alberta is located at 12845-102 Avenue in Edmonton.