Brother keeps Woodland Art style alive in gallery

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The mention of a thunderbird conjures up images of wonder and majesty, beauty and longevity. Perhaps it was because renowned artist Norval Morrisseau was given the name Thunderbird by his grandfather, that he set upon the path to found the Woodland School of Anishnaabe Art, a style of artistic expression recognized around the globe.

Norval now lives a quiet life near Nanaimo, B.C. He suffered a stroke and has other medical problems that require daily assistance. He no longer paints but he has a fervent wish that the style of painting he made so recognizable continues through time.

Norval asked his brother, Wolf Morrisseau, to set up the Copper Thunderbird Gallery in Thunder Bay, Ont., the largest major city nearest his home community of Sandy Point.

The gallery will display and sell Native art, educate people on the style of Woodland artistic expression, and act as an authority on Norval's thousands of paintings.

Wolf also plans to educate artists on the business of art.

"Too many Aboriginal artists don't know the value of their work or how to market it effectively," said Wolf. "You hear of artists who sell their work for $60 and it goes to Europe and is resold for $600. That's not right!"

For many years, Wolf had a dream to run a teaching studio, but it was only last year that Norval asked him to carry on this work.

Wolf said that part of his business is to authenticate the work produced by his brother. There have been cases of people buying what they think is a painting by Morrisseau who find out the painting is a fraud.

Norval's work can be seen in collections at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, any number of Canadian universities and government buildings and in many other galleries and collections around the world.

The Woodland style of art began in the early 1960s. Norval used traditional images, such as he had seen in rock paintings and in beadwork, to illustrate legends and myths of the Ojibway. He did this to preserve the history, rituals, and beliefs of his culture. His work influenced many artists that followed after him. It still does.

The gallery in Thunder Bay is currently displaying Wolf's paintings. The color and content of his work is traditional, but his own personality makes the paintings distinctive.

The guest book in the gallery is already filling with praise from tourists and local residents. Wolf's plan is to rotate exhibits of the work of several artists.

With the gallery still in its fledgling stage, he is working on a business plan and contacting artists from the district.

Wolf has also been visiting Thunder Bay schools on his mission to educate people about Anishnaabe art. He tackles topics such as the circle of life and caring for the earth.

"Children are wonderful to talk to," he said. "They are still open to new ideas." In fact, Wolf uses art as a way of dismissing the stereotypes that have defined Native people. After a discussion about the symbols and colors seen in Woodland Art, he has the students fill out a survey about what they have learned. The comments are very positive, and you can tell the children take away more than a lesson about art.