Mixing Stars and Sand: The Art and Legacy of Sarain Stump
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MacKenzie Art Gallery 3475 Albert St, T C Douglas Building (corner of Albert St & 23rd Ave), Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 6X6
Sarain Stump as Napoleon Royal in the film "Alien Thunder," 1973
director Claude Fournier (© Rose Films)
Opening Saturday, March 3, 2018, the MacKenzie Art Gallery presents a major retrospective of Italian-born Plains Cree artist Sarain Stump (1945 - 1974). Stump — and his fascinating story — remain relatively unknown to the mainstream artworld and audiences.
Mixing Stars and Sand: The Art and Legacy of Sarain Stump is a multi-faceted project that makes a major contribution to the art history of the Canadian prairies. This extraordinary artist, who worked alongside exhibition co-curator Gerald McMaster, traveled widely and taught in schools across Saskatchewan. Stump was very influential in the early 1970s, leading the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College’s nascent Indart program. Notable students included Edward Poitras, Raymond McCallum, and Calvin Sand, among others. Propelled by the spirit of the times, including the activism of the American Indian Movement, Red Power, and the influence of late-sixties youth culture, Stump was instrumental in contributing to a renaissance of Indigenous art and artists in the region.
“We are thrilled to bring this project, many years in the making, to fruition,” says Anthony Kiendl, the MacKenzie Art Gallery’s Executive Director and CEO. “I believe the research undertaken for this project will have a lasting legacy in the art history of the prairies, and that this kind of ongoing contribution to art history is what the MacKenzie excels at, and has established an international reputation for over many years. It is especially gratifying to share this work with our community for the first time, and to be part of a process of discovery and sharing of stories. We are actively contributing to public conversations on how we understand our selves and relate with the world locally, nationally, and internationally.”
Stump’s life was cut short when he drowned off the coast of Chiapas, Mexico at the age of twenty-nine. His death left many unanswered questions, including his transition from a childhood in Venice, Italy, to his work as a ranch hand in southern Alberta. His rapid acquisition of languages—including English and Cree—and extensive knowledge of Indigenous art — as well as his unmistakable charisma—all led to a celebrated volume of “image-poems”, There is my people sleeping(1970); a role in the Hollywood movie Alien Thunder (1974) alongside Donald Sutherland, Chief Dan George, and Gordon Tootoosis; and ultimately his assimilation into Plains Cree culture.
Co-curated by Gerald McMaster and Anthony Kiendl, the exhibition will feature a new, commissioned video installation by Edward Poitras; over two hundred works by Stump in a variety of media; documentation; and ephemera, including the un-edited manuscript for a new book of image-poems never before seen in public. A forthcoming bilingual, hardcover publication will feature essays by numerous contributors who delve into Stump’s work and legacy for the first time, discovering clues the artist left about his past, as well as connections to his future influence among subsequent generations.
This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada. The Mackenzie Art Gallery acknowledges with appreciation the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, the University of Regina, SaskCulture, City of Regina, and the Saskatchewan Arts Board.
RELATED EVENTS (Open to the public) Media are invited to attend:Opening Reception & Exhibition Tour | Saturday, March 3, 2018 | 3:00 - 5:00 PM | MacKenzie Art Gallery3:00 PM | Exhibition Tour with Exhibition Curators Gerald McMaster and Anthony Kiendl4:00 PM | ReceptionForward Currents Festival | March 2 - 4, 2018 | MacKenzie Art GallerySaturday, March 3, 2018 | 7:00 PM | MacKenzie Art Gallery | There is My People Sleeping Performance by Regina Symphony Orchestra, Eekwol, and New Dance Horizons (Robin Poitras and Edward Poitras)