Canadian Native Art
The Second Wave of Woodland Native Artists
In 1972 the show Treaty Numbers 23, 287, 1171 broke the ice jam of native art in Canadian galleries. Despite Morrisseau's success a decade earlier Canadian native art was still considered simple iconography by the art establishment until works by Daphne Odjig, Jackson Beardy and Alex Janvier were shown in the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Other shows followed and as did opportunities for other artists.
Morrisseau has been mentoring Josh and Goyce Kakegamic in Sandy Lake. They went on to open their own screen printing shop and mentored others.
Daphne and Carl Ray taught a short lived summer course on Manitoulin Island and many of those participants are either still painting or are working in music and theatre.
The following attended the Manitoulin summer school and I'm trying to make time to complete their short biographies. I've been a slacker this past few months, pretending that my sore hip somehow affects my typing! My promise is that I'll have information about all five of these artists in place by the end of January 2007. So I'd better get on with it!
- Leland Bell
- Blake Debassige
- Shirley Cheechoo
- Martin Panamick
- Joseph Linklater
- Randy Trudeau
