Frustrated artists paint road block in protest of Canada council rejection

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Two Calgary artists have designed a protest painting which, they say, symbolizes the "road block" Canada Council of Arts has erected across their work.

John Langeveld and Clifford Crane Bear, who work in conjunction, have painted a familiar scene from the Stoney Indian reserve west of Calgary. The scene is of a 1A highway near the Morley turnoff. However, a large red-and-white roadblock traverses the road and cuts off the beautiful scenery.

"This painting is a familiar scene to anyone who knows the reserve," says Holland-born Langeveld. "It is a few miles from the Nakoda Lodge."

The picture is a culmination of frustration and anger for the pair who have battled for nearly two years to obtain funding for a series of paintings and prose on the Indian people of the Treaty 7 area.

"When I cam to Canada from Holland six years ago, they told me to be careful of the Grizzly bears and the Natives. But I decided to get to know the Natives and I'd like to portray them to show that they are people. I want to show that they are human," says Langeveld.

The series of paintings depict well-known Indian people from bands in the Treaty 7 area along with a script describing the activities written by Blackfoot band member and artist Clifford Crane Bear.

Crane Bear, who is best known for his exquisitely hand crafts jewelry made from authentic bone and hide, talks to the Elders in his native Blackfoot language and helps interpret the activity for Langeveld.

"For instance, John painted a picture of Maggie (Black Kettle) fixing a young girl's hair. I worte about the powwow and put it on the canvas."

Langeveld has also painted portraits of Crane Bear's father, who is describing sign language and tipis silhouetted against the sunset.

"We have had a lot of response over these pictures," says Langeveld, who has received more than a hundred letters of support from various institutions in Calgary, including the school board, city hall, the Calgary Indian Friendship Centre and the Plains Indian Cultural Survival School.

"Everyone wants to show our works, but I just cannot continue these paintings without some kind of funding."

Langeveld has applied to several arts foundations including the Alberta Art Foundation, Canada Native Arts Foundation, and the Nichol Family Foundation but has been turned down. However, when he was invited to submit his work to the Canada Council Explorations department his hopes were raised.

"You see, because the paintings combine both art and prose, we often fall between the cracks for a lot of funding agencies," explains Langeveld. "And because the Canada Council has this program to help new directions in art we thought we would finally get somewhere."

However, after months of negotiations, Langeveld was informed that the application has been turned down for the second time.

"We put in an appeal of course, and that is when I decided to paint this picture," he says, pointing to the large canvas.

Langeveld and Crane Bear's paintings have been displayed at the Nakoda Lodge on the Stoney reserve west of Calgary for the past two months and numerous people have commented on the protest painting.

"Many tourists ask about the picture and many want to contribute toward our task," says Langeveld. "We have also received a lot more letters of support."

Langeveld and Crane Bear eventually want to travel all across Alberta to portray Indian people in a positive and informative way.

"Our pictures tell a visual and written story. They give a lot of knowledge about Naive people," says Langeveld. "Eventually I would like to portray all three Treaty areas of Alberta. But without some kind of funding, it will be impossible," he adds.

However, Richard Holden, Canada Council executive says he feels the Langeveld paintings are not relevant to the exploration program.

"He certainly wasn't turned down because of inability. In fact Mr. Langeveld is very talented. But the works themselves were not innovative and did not appar to stretch Mr. Langeveld's abilities," said Holden in an interview from his Ottawa office.

Holden explained that Canada Council receives about 60 applications for each competition and only seven or eight applicants are successful.

"There is just not enough money to fund everyone. I wish there was," he added.

Holden explained that the Canada Council's Exploration division was formed to enable artists to explore different avenues of innovative creation, not to merely repeat their usual mode of artwork.

"There is a five person jury selection from the same geographical area as the applicant, so Mr. Langeveld was judged by his peers in the Prairie provinces. And they chose not to fund Mr. Langeveld."

The Canada Council Exploration division holds three competitions per year in September, January and May.