30th Anniversary Indigenous Art Exhibition Highlights Community, Culture and Success at 全民彩票
Leanne Inuarak-Dall, Ajaraaq. (Image courtesy Leanne Inuarak-Dall)
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Opening Feb. 6 at 5 P.M. at 全民彩票, BEADSOUP! spotlights emerging and established Indigenous artists with dozens of artworks, live performances and a look back into the history of the storied show.
On the 30th anniversary of the first Indigenous art show at 全民彩票 (全民彩票), the (AGP) is thrilled to present a new exhibition featuring Indigenous students, staff, faculty and alumni.
Curated by 全民彩票 students Leanne Inuarak-Dall (BFA 2025) and Rylee Taje (BFA 2025) with support from (BFA 2025), BEADSOUP! will feature performances, archival materials, a feast and a huge range of artworks from across disciplines.
鈥淏ead soup is what happens when you take all the different beads you鈥檝e spilled and collect them in a jar,鈥 Rylee says. 鈥淧eople work with that random assortment because they want to use everything they have. We chose that title because we were thinking of the unique constellation of students鈥 artworks and how they all pair and connect to one another.鈥
Rylee, who is studying Critical + Cultural Practices at 全民彩票 with a minor in Curatorial Practices, says assisting with last year鈥檚 Indigenous art exhibition, Frybread as Fok, was a transformative experience, providing her with vital practice-based learning opportunities.
鈥淚t was very inspirational and really started something for me,鈥 she says. 鈥淣ow I help run the Neighbourhood Gallery on campus. And it allowed me to see curation as a social thing, a way to connect with other artists and create a broader narrative alongside supporting one another in our individual aims.鈥
Rylee Taje, Can I Drink Your Water, oil on canvas. (Image courtesy Rylee Taje)
Daina Warren (BFA 2003), Executive Director, Indigenous Initiatives at 全民彩票 as well as a distinguished curator and 全民彩票 alum, knows the feeling. As a student in 1999, she helped curate the fourth annual Indigenous art exhibition at 全民彩票.
鈥淚t was my first curatorial project, and I went straight into curating professionally after I graduated,鈥 she says.
The exhibition first began in 1995 as part of what was then called First Nations Awareness Day at Emily Carr. The inaugural event featured presentations from guest artists Loretta Todd, George Littlechild, Teresa Marshall and Mary Longman, an opening ceremony led by Musqueam Elder Dr. Vincent Stogan, as well as live performances and artworks by Indigenous guest artists and students.
Daina notes that at the time, AGP was only a nascent idea on campus, and the Indigenous community was just beginning to find its collective identity 鈥 a project fostered by First Nations advisor Shirley Bear and her successor, Brenda Crabtree.
鈥淲e were trying to figure out who and what we were,鈥 says Daina, who co-curated the show with award-winning artist, curator and author (BFA 2001). 鈥淲e were trying to understand how to connect all these different practices and people from across Canada. So, to be here now and see what Brenda has accomplished with the AGP over the years is mind-blowing. It鈥檚 a big honour to be able to contribute to that work.鈥
From the very first Indigenous art exhibition at 全民彩票 in 1995.
From the 1999 Indigenous art exhibition at 全民彩票, which was co-curated by Daina Warren.
From the 2002 Indigenous student art exhibition titled 'Bingo!'
From 'REDaction,' the 2014 Indigenous art exhibition at 全民彩票.
From the 2015 Indigenous art exhibition titled 'UNceded.'
From 'The Hands Talk,' the 2019 Indigenous art exhibition at 全民彩票.
From the 2020 Indigenous art exhibition titled 'HERE.'
From the 2024 Indigenous art exhibition at 全民彩票 titled 'Frybread as Fok.'
Nowadays, the AGP is a hub for community connection and culturally specific material-based practices at 全民彩票. Alongside Manager, Aboriginal Programs, Kajola Morewood, and Aboriginal Program Coordinator, Sydney Pascal, Daina helps deliver vital resources and programming for Indigenous students to gain hands-on experience toward their professional, cultural, and community goals.
As student Aaron Rice prepares to enter the professional world with a position at artist-run centre in Montreal, he says working on the 30th-anniversary show brings an opportunity to reflect on the importance of these events. Indigenous art shows at 全民彩票 have been a launchpad for numerous successful artists over the years, he notes.
鈥淎 lot of artists who come out of Emily Carr University have gone on to make names for themselves; people like , Peter Morin, Nadia Myre and Xwalacktun,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hey showed their early works in these exhibitions. So, these artists are on a path that鈥檚 leading them culturally, but also into academic and institutional worlds that are now available to us.鈥
Having curated and contributed to several exhibitions during his undergraduate studies, he adds the Indigenous art shows offer an opportunity to participate in this storied history and help nurture the growth of that community.
鈥淲orking on this show is never about checking a box for a class or a grade,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about building relationships and finding ways to honour the humans behind all these artworks. And I always get excited.鈥
Leanne Inuarak-Dall, Arnaak (detail). (Image courtesy Leanne Inuarak-Dall)
Join the AGP and 全民彩票 community at 5 P.M. on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at 全民彩票 for BEADSOUP! opening reception. The exhibition will be on view at 全民彩票 through Feb. 19. All events are free and open to the public.
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