Los Angeles welcomes Native art show

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LOS ANGELES - Results are already evident from the exhibition of the work of Canadian Native artists which opened earlier this month at the Southwest Museum here.

Canadian-born actor John Vernon, the prime mover in making the exhibition, a reality, dubbed the Los Angeles Celebration of Contemporary Canadian Native arts, says the initial good response to the show continues to expand as word of the work and the acclaim it is receiving spreads.

The four Alberta artists represented are doing particularly well. In additional to individual sales:

- Norval Morisseau has already had an exhibition in Santa Barbara and has an additional solo exhibition scheduled to open in Los Angeles in Mach.

- Alex Janvier is reported to being negotiating for commissions to do two major murals.

- Joane Cardinal-Shubert has had discussions with several Los Angeles area galleries interested in representing her.

- Shearson Lehman/American Express has shown particular interest in the work of Jane Ash Poitras for its corporate office, and Vernon has asked for additional work from her to satisfy the demand.

Similar interest is being shown in the work of other artists from across Canada.

A series of four exclusive openings at the Southwest Museum introduced the work of some of Canada's move prominent Native artists to this important art market.

A festive touch was added to the invitation-only events with the performances of traditional singers and dancers from the Samson Indian Band and hoop-dancer Jerry Saddleback of Hobbema.

Vernon expressed special gratitude to the Samson Band, Peace Hills Trust and Peace Hills Chairman Roy Louis for their support of the exhibition.

The champagne flowed freely as dignitaries, people from the entertainment world, art collectors and expatriate Canadians jammed the hill-top style museum for the openings.

One of the dignitaries who is an enthusiastic supporter of the exhibition was Joan Winser, Canadian consul-general in Los Angeles. Winser hosted a preview of this exhibition with a glamourous reception at her Beverly Hills residence in November.

Some of those works are now on display at the Museum of Man in San Diego.

Among the gala guests was Al Waxman, Canadian star in television's Cagney and Lacey, who found the exhibition "magnificent."

Admitting that he had not really been aware of Canadian Native art before, he said he could now see himself becoming a collector.

The exhibition is really two shows in one, featuring an impressive selection of Northwest Coast Indian art from the Legacy Collection of the British Columbia Provincial Museum in Victoria, and the collection of contemporary work, dubbed the Los Angeles Celebration of Canadian Contemporary Native Art.

The contemporary show is the realization of the determined efforts of Vernon. Curated by Tom Hill, director of the Woodland Indian Cultural Educational Centre in Brantford, Ontario, the show features the works of prominent Alberta artists Joan Cardinal-Shubert, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau and Jane Ash Poitras, as well as Carl Beam, Rick Beaver, Vince Bomberry, Bob Boyer, Eddie Cobiness, Blake Debassige, David General, Joe Jacobs, Clifford Maracle, R.G. Miller, Maxine Noel, Daphne Odjig, Allen Sapp, Benjamin Thomas and Cecil Youngfox.

Tragically, Youngfox died last week after a long illness. He was 44.

The artist's work will be on display until April 26 and will be available for sale. Artists are encouraged to have other works available to replace those which are sold.

Vernon was reluctant to comment too soon on the success of the show because

he expects interest to snowball as word spreads.

"Indian art is not a big thing here," Vernon says.

"We're trying to do something about that."

He plans extensive promotion of the exhibition throughout its duration.

Major sponsors of the event are Peace Hills Trust, which is owned by the Samson Indian Band; Winser; Air Canada; CN Hotels; CP Hotels and Chief Walte Twinn of the Sawridge Indian Band.