Indigenous public art
Indigenous public art program
Art is the storytelling of a history. Respecting and sharing the unique, local Indigenous traditions, beliefs and practices through public art helps to share Indigenous perspectives and stories. It serves as a reminder that Indigenous people lived on this land long before Scottish settlers named it Calgary, and that every Calgarian has a role to play in acknowledging the past and working toward a brighter future.
Of The City’s public art collection, which began growing in 1911 and now has more than 1300 pieces, less than 3% was created by Indigenous artists. To correct this disparity, we’re taking meaningful steps to improve opportunities for Indigenous artists to consult on, participate in and create public art in Calgary.
Digital Voices Exhibition
A showcase of digital artwork by local Indigenous artists presented by the City of Calgary Public Art Program and The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland.
This exhibit invites you to witness the diversity of artists expressing their relationship to this place — Mohkinstsis — while maintaining their own cultural identity. We can see how the land grounds all with a sense of belonging and allows personal experiences and stories to flourish. The artworks were selected through a selection panel with additional work chosen by the curator.
Where: The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland – 750 9 Ave. S.E.
When: Oct. 3, 2024 to Jan. 2, 2025
Artists: Crystal Clark, Andrew Holloway, AJ Kluck, Jadyn Fischer-McNab, Georgina Metzler, Stephanie One Spot, WÂPOSHPYII and Autumn Whiteway
Artwork: Nakii Pimbahtaahk Anoosh, "stopped running today" by WÂPOSHPYII
Art created by Indigenous artists
Moving toward Reconciliation as a city, province and country requires showcasing art by Indigenous artists as a way of understanding and learning about the people who have lived in this region since time immemorial.
Click on each photo to learn more about the artist and artwork.
Title: Guts’ists’i
Artist: Stephanie One Spot
Medium: digital
Dadanasta da. I am Stephanie One Spot born and raised from the Tsuut’ina First Nation. I have always enjoyed land-based learning and being creative. My parents always encouraged me to venture out on the land, play, create, build. They showed me and my siblings the importance of not just traditional stories of our land and culture but learning the coyote trails, geology, geography, archaeology, and natural medicines in our territory. Being an entrepreneur at heart, I have always found ways to connect work to play to learning and producing something from that process. Even if it’s just taking care of the land, houses, childcare and art projects, there is always something to have been gained, learned and taught from everyday life.
My art practice over the years has changed, shifted, or narrowed down to more research based. I feel that if you can outgrow something and it doesn’t fit your vision any more than you must have learned all you can from it and its ok to let it go and move on. I first started out doing silhouettes, figures and painting them onto spray painted backgrounds. I also really like photography, so I would take pictures of everyday things, animals, events, culture events and powwow. Then when Covid hit, I started moving towards more digital art and refining my photographs and selling the prints. After researching traditional stories and my Dene routes, I started delving into more experimental processes and ways to document my findings.
It means a lot to me to be recognized through my art and storytelling. To get opportunities like this for the exposure alone helps my voice and art reach different audiences who might be interested in learning about myself, my art, my story, and my roots.
Title: NAKII PIMBAHTAAHK ANOOSH
Artist: Paityn Savoie
Medium: digital
Savoie is a two-spirit illustrator with ancestral roots in both Métis and Prairie Cree bands. Savoie grew up in Treaty No. 1 (Winnipeg) and currently lives in Treaty No.7 (Calgary).
After obtaining a bachelor's degree in illustration design and a minor in printmaking from Alberta University of the Arts, Savoie has passionately embraced art reflective of a deep commitment to their ancestral inheritance.
“My artistic practice is rooted in my heritage, celebrated for its spiritual and healing properties, truly a medicine for the soul,” describes Savoie. “In my work, I focus on depicting the flora and fauna that have personally impacted me, avoiding subjects outside my direct experiences. A distinctive feature of my work is the use of power lines, or wiggly lines radiating from the bodies of the subject. These lines are usually accompanied with lines that highlight vital organs; creating a diagram effect revealing the connected workings of the Creator. I enrich the space around central figures with symbolic elements like intertwined tendrils or divided circles, representing the spirit and the duality of the colonial world. These symbols invite viewers into a deep exploration of my work. Through this visual language, I aim to connect and offer insights into both personal experiences and broader societal themes.”
Having art showcased through the Indigenous Art program is profoundly meaningful to Savoie.
“It provides my work with recognition and validation of my cultural expression. This opportunity allows me to share more about myself and my perspective on a broader platform, a chance to contribute to the cultural dialogue, fostering understanding.”
Title: The Matriarch Blanket
Artist: Jadyn Fischer-McNab
Medium: digital
Jadyn Fischer-McNab is a Cree artist who was born and raised in Mohkinstsis (Calgary), Alberta, on Treaty 7 territory. Jadyn studied at the University of Calgary, where she received bachelor degrees in kinesiology and education in 2015 and 2018 respectively. Jadyn has worked as a full-time junior high school teacher since she graduated in 2018. Jadyn published her first illustrated children's book "Brave Like the Buffalo" in September 2024. She is passionate about breaking down barriers and educating others by incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing and being into her art, her teaching, and her life. Struggling with identity and internalized racism throughout her life, Jadyn aspires to use creativity and art to inspire all to be unapologetically authentic.
Title: IKWE
Artist: Georgina Metzler
Medium: digital
Ikwe (Anishinaabemowin for Woman) is a woman outlined in green and blue in front of a red and orange star blanket. The artist used red to represent missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two spirits and men, and orange for the residential school children. She is standing defiant and we can see-through to the quilt underneath which represents resilience. We are still here.
Boozhoo! Georgina ndizhinikaaz makwa nidoodem anishinaabwe niin animikii-wajiw doonjii, Mohkinstsis niindaa. In other words, hi, my name is Georgina, I’m Anishinaabe (Ojibway) from Thunderbird Mountain (Fort William First Nation, Thunder Bay, Ontario) but I now live in Mohkinstsis or Elbow (Calgary) and I’m Bear Clan. My Dad is Anishinaabe and my mom is Viking with a splash of German. Unbeknownst to me and my mother, my father was blocked from me since I was born, but that’s another story. I found them through a photo my sister Dee posted on the weather network of Sundogs and I've been able to start reclaiming myself ever since. Starting with learning our language. Language holds culture, it’s all in there. So I try to incorporate simple things, like a formal greeting. I’ve lived here, in Calgary, since I was a teenager and I graduated from Alberta University of the Arts in 2021, with a Bachelor of Design in Advertising and Graphic Design.
Title: Aohkii Iihtaipatapiiyop
Artist: AJ Kluck
Medium: digital
AJ Kluck is an artist! They are Okanagan and Irish. They like to work and sit and laugh and play and think. Lately AJ has been understanding their reality by connecting with people, making metal objects, and playing piano (though not that well). Sometimes they can be annoying, sometimes they can be charming, it’s really a toss up. Overall though, they try not to be late, and they try their best to make the world a better place.
Opportunities for Indigenous artists
Several new opportunities are available for applicants to join the City of Calgary's Indigenous Art Program team. Current calls for Indigenous art and artists are posted on our opportunities for artists page. Sign up for the monthly public art newsletter and the Indigenous artist roster to be notified when more opportunities become available. You can also follow our Facebook and Instagram pages where we promote public art opportunities and uplift Indigenous artists in the Treaty 7 area.
Indigenous arts professionals
We are deeply honored to be the first municipality in Canada with an all-Indigenous team of arts professionals dedicated to delivering more opportunities for Indigenous artists and increasing Indigenous representation in the public art collection. |
Indigenous curators help build connections between local government, the arts community and Indigenous groups.
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Sign up for our monthly public art newsletter to be notified when all public art opportunities become available.
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View other opportunities for artists on the Calgary Arts Development website.
Jessica McMann
In summer 2020, we welcomed Jessica McMann to the public art team as an Indigenous curator.
Jessica is an Alberta-based Cree (Cowessess, SK) curator and artist (musician, dancer, visual artist). She's also a classically trained flutist with a Bachelor of Music from the University of Calgary and a Master of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University.
In addition to creating traditional beadwork and drums, she also makes immersive sound art videos. Her recent compositions and soundscapes explore Indigenous identity and history. She's co-founder and co-director of Wild Mint Arts, an Indigenous arts company.
Although her art is primarily music and dance, Jessica's artwork is exhibited at Urban Shaman Gallery and Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. Her curatorial practice is embedded in Indigeneity, relationality and advocacy.
She works closely with the Moh'kinsstis Public Art Guiding Circle, public art program staff, and the Indigenous Relations Office to bring Indigenous knowledge, histories, cultures, languages, traditions, worldviews, and ways of knowing into the public art program.
Sophia Lebessis
In consultation with the Nunavut-based elder community, Inuit art gallery owner Sophia Lebessis is working to curate a travelling collection of sculptures, prints and textiles that both respects and reflects the rich art and culture of the Inuit people of Canada.
Sophia is Inuit on her mother's side and Greek on her father's. She grew up in Arviat, Nunavut, learning about the world of Inuit art and how to promote the works of highly collectible and influential artists.
With her keen eye for art and experience in sourcing art, from creation to distribution, Sophia has a unique approach to contributing to the future of Inuit art that focuses on education and entrepreneurship to transform appreciation for Canada's national art form.
Indigenous team members strive to ensure Treaty 7 Nations, Métis Nation of Alberta, District 5 and 6 and all Indigenous Canadians are accurately and fairly represented in the City’s public art collection.
Neko Wong-Houle
Neko Wong-Houle (she/they) is a queer, registered band member of the Blackfoot, Kainai Nation, with Ojibwe and Chinese-Canadian ancestry.
She is currently based in Montréal, Quebec, where she is studying film animation in her third year at Concordia University. She is working toward a multimedia practice with primary interests in animation, storytelling, fine arts practices and digital media with a passion for communications.
In 2021, Neko received the Indigenous Golden Sheaf Award at the Yorkton Film Festival and was the youngest filmmaker to win any award at the festival. For three consecutive years, Neko has received the Susan Pigott Fellowship for Indigenous filmmakers, and in 2024, they are representing the Indigenous Futures Research Centre as a Milieux Institute Undergraduate Fellow.
Neko is excited to reconnect with their traditional territory of Southern Alberta by promoting local Indigenous artists through their work with the Calgary Indigenous Public Art Team.
Kayla Gale
Kayla Gale is a Cree-Métis artist born in Mohkínstsis | Wîchîspa | Guts’ists’i | Calgary to a Dene-Métis family. They received their BFA at Alberta University of the Arts and are currently pursuing their Master of Education at the University of Calgary. Kayla is committed to their community and proud to be involved with many grassroots Indigenous initiatives within the arts. Having received numerous awards for their leadership efforts, Kayla continues to support Indigenous artists within Calgary and is looking forward to further connecting with artists around public art.
Henry Heavyshield
Henry Heavyshield is a Blackfoot (Kainai) writer currently living in northern Alberta.
He completed his undergraduate degree (B.A. English/Indigenous Literatures) at the University of Lethbridge, and he attended graduate studies at The University of British Columbia.
His work has appeared in Joyland, C Magazine, Kimiwan Zine as well as in an anthology of Indigenous writing with Annick Press. When he isn’t reading, writing, or tending to guinea pigs you can usually catch him on his bike or skateboard. He would like to thank the generosity and support of his family. Kitsikakommim (I love you).
Initiatives
Indigenous Digital Art initiative
The Indigenous Public Art program invited Indigenous artists to submit existing digital artwork and illustrations to be licensed for use on The City’s website, temporary publications, and public-facing artist calls and posters. The program will result in Calgary significantly increasing its opportunities for Indigenous artists to consult on, participate in, and create public art in the city.
Artwork: Warriors Spirit - Wîchîspa Oyade by Andrew Holloway
Indigenous Place Keeping program
The Indigenous Place Keeping program features educational programming, workshops and art by Indigenous artists in the municipal building, a place where Calgarians come to do business and where Council meets to make decisions.
The program supports artists, performers, curators and academics of all disciplines at any stage in their careers. It is open to all Treaty 7, Métis Nation of Alberta, District 5 and 6, urban Calgarian Indigenous and Indigenous people from elsewhere that currently make Calgary their home.
Tamaani | Here Inuit art exhibit
The Tamaani | Here art exhibit is a portable collection of 12 stone sculptures carved by artists from different regions of Nunavut. It is available for lending to teachers, schools and educational organizations in Calgary and area. Students will be inspired to further their learning about the rich art and culture of the Inuit of Canada.
The collection is curated by Sophia Lebessis, Canada’s first Inuk to own an Inuit art gallery. In the words of the curator, “Tamaani (Here) is a starting point with which to relook at Inuit art, not as a homogenous art form, but the land coming to life, bringing one into the imagination of an artist's relationship with the environment that has shaped them.”
Photography by Alana Bluebird-One Spot
Moh’kinsstis Public Art Guiding Circle
Since 2017, the Moh′kinsstis Public Art Guiding Circle has supported The City’s public art program to respond and act appropriately in its relationship with Indigenous communities and citizens. The Guiding Circle is made up of Indigenous artists of different disciplines, from a variety of communities and who bring diverse perspectives. Public art concepts, whether created by Indigenous or non-Indigenous artists, are presented to the Guiding Circle for feedback to ensure they are respectful of the original people of this land.
About reconciliation
Two reports were produced in 2015 to highlight calls to action for reconciliation. The City’s Indigenous public art program is responding to Call to Action #83, which is to create collaborative art that contributes to reconciliation.
- The Government of Canada produced the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, which outlines 94 calls to action for all levels of government.
- The White Goose Flying Report was created by the Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee (CAUAC) shortly afterwards. It details the calls to action that can be achieved at a local level.
Learn more about the Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee (CAUAC).
Past initiatives
The Land is home
From spring 2022 to spring 2023, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary Nature Centre is displaying The Land is Home project – a rotating exhibition of artworks that feature connections to the land created by Indigenous artists. The Land is Home reveals new perspectives on nature, and reminds Calgarians that Indigenous people have cared for these lands since time immemorial and served as the original stewards of the places we now enjoy as parks.
Alberta Public Art Network artist residency
In 2021 we worked with the Alberta Public Art Network (APAN) to provide a research residency that gave artists living in Alberta the support to further develop their artistic practices. Two Indigenous artists participated. Faye HeavyShield a member of the Kainai Nation and seth cardinal dodginghorse from Tsuu’tina Nation explored the theme "acts of care" and presented at the APAN summit in October 2021.
Benefit-Driven Procurement, Public Art and Indigenous Peoples
Beginning in 2019, we worked with our procurement team on a project to help increase the number of Indigenous artists applying for, and being selected for, public art projects. This 14-month project aimed to enable long-term sustainable relationships among The City of Calgary and Indigenous Peoples. It focused on improving processes for reaching out to artists in Indigenous communities and finding the best way to commission them.
Education and field guides
In 2019, a field guide and an education guide were produced in response to the Wolfe and the Sparrows project. They were written and edited by Indigenous writer and art educator, Steve Gin, to help educators and grades 5-9 students explore this and related artworks.
Street Art Program for Youth
The 2019 Street Art Program for Youth brought together Indigenous artists, Indigenous Elders and Calgary youth. They shared teachings and explored common values with the youth Over a six-week program. This collaboration resulted in the mural, Our Window on the wall of the Downtown Calgary Mosque.
Indigenous Artist in Residency program
In 2017, the Indigenous Artist in Residency program invited Treaty 7 and local urban Indigenous artists to participate in a three-month long residency. Artist Danielle (Danni) Black, also known as Sui Taa Kik (Sue-Da-Gee), Marina Crane (Hapan Kinyewakan) and Sheldon First Rider were selected to take part. The program was designed to foster a supportive environment for Indigenous artists in Calgary. It also provided dedicated research time for Indigenous artists interested in working within a municipal government context and in pursuing public art as part of their practice.