Through the Eyes of the Cree, and beyond

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Allen Sapp's memory works like a camera, pulling snap shots from his mind to document the life of the Crees. From a glance, his dead-on perspective makes his paintings look like photographs; up close, the broad brushstrokes create a captivating impressionistic style.

Through the Eyes of the Cree is a touring exhibit of the Allen Sapp Gallery and it is bringing some of the remarkable work by this quiet, humble and self-taught artist across Canada.

"His work captures for me the humanity of himself, of his people, and expresses what it means to be human... It's what it's about to be a human being and that's why his work really creates cultural bridges," said Dean Bauche, the director of the Allen Sapp Gallery and co-curator, with Lyndon Tootoosis and Lorne Carrier, of the exhibit.

On Feb. 24, the Red Deer and District Museum celebrated Sapp and his work at a special ceremony that included a blanket presentation and performances by the Red Deer Aboriginal Dance Troupe Society. Through the Eyes of the Cree was at the Red Deer Museum from Jan. 8 to March 13.

Sapp is the only living Canadian artist with a public gallery devoted entirely to his work. He is also the subject of numerous books and television documentaries. A descendent of Chief Poundmaker and born into meager means on the Red Pheasant reserve in 1928, Sapp is now a member of the Order of Canada.

In 1966, Dr. Allan Gonor discovered Sapp and encouraged him to paint his own experiences on the reserve. As a result, Sapp's paintings tell a personal and compelling story that seems to touch everyone.

The exhibit includes about 70 paintings, 50 artifacts and archival photographs, and a video documentary of Cree Elders sharing the stories that were inspired by Sapp's art.

In fact, it was the stories of the Elders that gave birth to the concept of the traveling exhibit.

Bauche said it started out when the Allen Sapp Gallery began to create a Web site for the Virtual Museum of Canada, and they decided to take Sapp's work to the Elders to ask what it meant to them. The Elders' compelling stories inspired the gallery to create an exhibit built around the stories and to take the show on the road.

"It took us a process of listening to realize 'OK, this is their story. This isn't just Allen's. This is their story.' And they're in many ways filling in the cracks. Allen is gifted as the keeper of images and they're gifted as the keeper of the stories, and when you put them together you have this incredible, incredible fit. So that became, if you will, the inspiration then to create the exhibition that in some ways needed to go beyond the walls of our gallery. Because so many people, when they do see Allen's work and the broad range of it and the extent of it and the power of it and then listen to the stories, begin to realize that this man truly is an extraordinary gift to Canadian people," said Bauche.

Celebrated actor Gordon Tootoosis narrates the video that talks about Sapp's life in which Elders tell their stories of life growing up on the harsh lands of the reserves. Sapp is the historian, documenting the last generation of the northern Plains Cree to live as nomadic hunters and the first generation to adapt to a new way of life.

For Lyndon Tootoosis, a Poundmaker First Nation Cree, the exhibit puts in writing the oral history of his roots and people that he has heard his entire life.

"It is very fortunate that Dean took the initiative to bring it to light," said Lyndon.

Lyndon brought in many of the artifacts and worked on the written information.

"His work is so moving and thought-provoking it was easy to put things together," Lyndon said.

If you didn't make it to Red Deer this time around, Through the Eyes of the Cree will return to Alberta in May and June 2006 at the Medicine Hat Art Museum and Art Gallery. The next stop for the exhibit is at the Western Development Museum & Wanuskewin in Saskatoon from May to July 2005.The exhibit will also make stops in Regina, Winnipeg, Yellowknife, and at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Que. The exhibit is part of Saskatchewan's centennial celebrations.