Indigenous artists are calling on the federal government to stop a flood of international fakes and knock-offs that exploit their culture and hurt them financially. A Canadian Press story quotes B.C. carver Richard Hunt as saying his images have been reproduced without permission. "In Bali, Indonesia, they are making Northwest Coast masks," Hunt said. "They are selling them as Indigenous." Senator Pat Bovey, the first art historian to sit in the Senate, is lobbying the government to reform copyright law to protect Indigenous artists. She says the industry of fake reproductions may be worth millions of dollars.
The Canada Council for the Arts is partnering with the Yukon government on a pilot project aimed at helping Indigenous artists cut through red tape. The two-year project has a $350,000 budget to create an Indigenous outreach position in the territory. CBC News reports this person will help Indigenous artists apply for funding and develop their careers. Simon Brault, the council's director, said the program is aimed at removing systematic barriers.
Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun’s 2022 painting, Indian Residential School, Leaving the Shallow Graves and Going Home, has sold for $157,250 at Heffel, a Vancouver-based art auction house. The large painting measures five feet by eight feet and was commissioned by Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel. All funds benefit the Orange Shirt Society and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. Learn more in this video.
A kinetic interactive sculpture has been unveiled at Ontario Place on Toronto’s waterfront. 1000 Faces, created by Alejandro Figueroa and a group of artists, is made of several thousand mirror fragments that reflect passersby and the environment. It is accompanied by a score composed by multidisciplinary Cree artist Nigel Irwin. Read more here.
The Seymour Art Gallery in North Vancouver is seeking submissions for its 2023 exhibition program. The gallery offers artists exhibiting fees and an honorarium for talks, but lacks a budget for shipping and travel. Provocative and challenging work that incites conversation is encouraged. The call closes Sept. 28. Read more here.
Winnipeg-based Japanese artist Takashi Iwasaki visits Lethbridge, Alta., on July 13 to discuss Hinode, a newly installed public artwork at the Nikko Yuko Japanese Gardens Visitor Centre. Iwasaki will speak about the history of Japanese wartime relocation and how the sculpture was influenced by the local environment, including the Rockies, wheat fields and sugar beets. For details, go here.
British-born, Nigerian Canadian artist Oluseye Ogunlesi has created a sculpture dedicated to the first Black Canadians and to Africans who died in the slave trade. The Black Ark, a 12-foot structure resembling a cathedral is made of polished metal and wood, inlaid with mirrors. Installed at Ashbridges Bay Park in Toronto as part of the Luminato Festival, it will remain at the park until early September. Read more here.
A new sculpture by Rebecca Belmore has been unveiled at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The tall sculpture is made of wood and copper cones, and is topped with an eagle's head. Belmore, inspired by the jingle dresses worn by girls and women at powwows, evokes healing and the strength of Indigenous women. Find out more here.