Local artist admires potential in youth

When Edmonton artist Heather Shillinglaw travelled to the Onchaminahos School at the Saddle Lake Cree Nation last fall, she was delighted with the budding talent that she observed amongst the students.

Shillinglaw is an artist-in-residence and was sponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts to work with the students for a three-week period. She travelled the 180 km from Edmonton to Saddle Lake and stayed at a hotel in St. Paul, a short 20-minute commute from Onchaminahos.

“I am a self-contractor, a practicing professional artist, and through the AFA have worked with schools who apply for a grant to supply some arts education,” she said.

“I put together a program for the school which was based on their Social Studies units and each grade did a different project,” she explained. The children spend time appropriate for their age and skill levels, from two to four sessions. “The kids are very talented and appreciative. It’s very exciting because by applying for the grant, it’s a very cost-effective way for schools to get some exposure to the arts for their students.”

Shillinglaw has been teaching for four years as an artist-in-residence and in every school she goes into, she finds the program makes a difference in the kids’ lives.

“At Onchaminahos, the students were studying the boreal forest, so the artwork was very free and open,” she said. “It’s built on an 8-inch by 10-inch canvas and they start with all kinds of material for the foundation. They use wood, fabric, paper, paint, oil pastels, and so on, so it’s layered and three-dimensional.”

The students also talked about the relationship of the animals and the forest and mankind, as well as ecological concerns.
As a First Nations person, Shillinglaw welcomed the opportunity to speak in Cree with the students and staff and learn more about the culture.

“In my work I do beading and blend natural settings of healing wildflowers. My ancestors were medicine people and I’ve been learning a lot from my family as well as the paintings of Alex Janvier and other Aboriginal artists,” she said, adding that she has lived in Edmonton most of her life.

Shillinglaw always seizes opportunities to talk about First Nations culture to non-Aboriginals.

“I take my sweetgrass and medicinal plants with me and talk about them every opportunity I get. It was nice to find the morning smudge ceremony was already a part of the day for the students at Saddle Lake and it needed no explaining,” she said.
“We are thankful to have Heather coming to share her talents,” said assistant administrator Rhoda Cardinal. Onchaminahos students benefited from Shillinglaw’s instructions on watercolours, pastels chalk, tissue paper, wild flower shapes, and using random and drawing lines and other items. The three weeks ended with a display showcasing the students’ talent and art.