Indigenous Public Art Travelling Exhibitions
Indigenous Public Art Travelling Exhibitions
Sharing community-rooted art across Treaty 7 Territory
Indigenous Public Art Travelling Exhibitions
The City of Calgary’s Indigenous Public Art Travelling Exhibitions bring Indigenous stories into schools, libraries, and public spaces — connecting communities through art that moves, teaches, and heals.
Launched as a pilot, the program began with a clear goal: To centre Indigenous voices in telling their own stories through curation and art.
That vision took shape with Tamaani | Here, the first travelling exhibition, which reached audiences across Mohkinstsis (Calgary) and beyond. Its success established a new approach rooted in community-led curation, artistic sovereignty, and the lived experiences of Treaty 7 and Métis artists.
Today, the program has expanded into a series of exhibitions that travel across communities, generations, and territories. Each is uniquely shaped by Indigenous curators from the Blackfoot Confederacy, Stoney Nakoda, Tsuut’ina, and Métis communities.
Reclaiming the frame: A vision rooted in equity and relationship
The travelling exhibitions emerged from a commitment to rethinking how Indigenous art is presented and experienced.
As curator Jessica McMann explains:
"The previous Inuit art program was deeply educational but dated. When Sophia Lebessis, a local Inuk curator assessed it, she and the Mohkinstsis Public Art Guiding Circle agreed; a new exhibit was needed, one that embraced Inuit-first voices and community-led perspectives." – Jessica McMann
This shift led to Tamaani | Here, where Inuit art is shared as a living extension of community storytelling.
Its impact reinforced the need for Indigenous-led exhibitions across Nations, leading to expansion across the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina, Stoney Nakoda, and Métis communities.
Curators are entrusted to shape exhibitions that reflect their communities’ values, stories, and ways of creating — transforming public spaces and strengthening representation in Calgary’s civic collection.
“This program doesn’t just fill walls, it carves a new path. It ensures that local Indigenous artists, and their communities, are seen and heard as integral parts of the cultural landscape.” – Jessica McMann
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Send us your name, school/community and exhibit/s you are interested in.
Portraits of the Blackfeet Feminine
Curated by Evelyn Martin/itsooaakii (Amska’pikuni Nation)
Featuring artists O’maste-Win Crawford-Foster, Louis Still Smoking, Alishon Kelly, and Jordan Martin (Mai’stoo Mahkaa), the show celebrates contemporary Blackfeet womanhood through painting, photography, drawing, and collage.
Each piece reclaims narratives from historical misrepresentation, embodying feminine power, resilience, and continuity.
“As a Niitsitapi woman, I wanted to shift who holds the lens. Too often, our representation has been filtered through colonial eyes. This exhibition brings that agency back home.” – Evelyn Martin
The exhibition stands as a powerful statement: that Niitsitapi women and Two-Spirit people are creators, carriers, and protectors of ancestral knowledge, the heart of Blackfeet continuity.
Voices of the Piikani: A Living Continuum
Curated by Matthew Provost (Piikani Nation)
Provost’s vision is to create a multigenerational exhibit that speaks to Piikani identity, history, and land through family stories and visual art. This exhibition emphasizes education, belonging, and strength within the community.
Artists include Joyce Little Moustache, Kiitokii, Walker English, Carleigh Grier-Stewart, Serene Weaseltraveller and Karli Crowshoe.
“Our stories are visual. They’re carried through our materials in every thread, bead, and brushstroke. I want the exhibition to reflect who we are, not only through memory but through living practice.” – Matthew Provost
Stories from the Edge of the City
Curated by Riel Manywounds (Tsuut’ina Nation)
This exhibition brings forward the depth and distinct identity of Tsuut’ina Nation, whose lands border Calgary’s southwest edge.
Blending traditional and contemporary practices, the show features handmade tools, regalia, music, and graffiti art—highlighting both continuity and innovation.
Artists include AJ Starlight, Ellison Starlight, Loui Starlight, and Graham Rowen.
“We’re still here, still making, still singing. I want people to see what makes Tsuut’ina people distinct — our tools, our songs, our regalia, our innovation.” – Riel Manywounds
Rooted in language, craft, and sound, the exhibition creates an immersive experience grounded in community rhythm and cultural resilience.
Lines of Connection
Curated by Liz Barron (Métis)
This research-driven exhibition explores Métis identity through interconnected “lines”—of kinship, geography, memory, and story.
Drawing from travel and conversations across Turtle Island, Barron centers relationships as the foundation of the work.
Artists include Lillian Bonin, Christina Kirouac, and Ian August.
“Métis art is built from lines — not linear, but weaving lines that follow rivers, reconnect families, and reimagine belonging.” – Liz Barron
Each artwork becomes part of a living network, reflecting how stories and identities continue to evolve across time and place.
Siksika Voices Emerging
Curated by Sikapinakii Low Horn (Siksika Nation)
This exhibition brings together artists across generations, showcasing both traditional and contemporary Siksika creativity.
From intricate beadwork to digital storytelling, the works highlight how cultural expression continues to adapt and thrive.
Artists include Erin Many Heads, Tara Spring Chief, Brendan Many Bears, and Curtis Running Rabbit.
“I want to show that our creativity is alive, evolving, and rooted in who we are as Siksika people.” – Sikapinakii Low Horn
Designed to travel safely and widely, the exhibition reflects both the endurance and innovation of Blackfoot art.
Land, Body, Spirit
Curated by Dr. Hali Heavy Shield (Kainai Nation)
This exhibition explores how art is woven into everyday life—an expression of land, kinship, and spirit.
Featuring artists across generations, the show includes beadwork, painting, photography, parfleche, and digital media.
Artists include Faye Heavy Shield, Lauren Crazybull, Harrison Stabs Down, Alan Wells, Bryce Singer Many Fingers, Darcy Healy, and CJ Beebe.
“Creativity is a very ordinary way of life. It’s part of our everyday living—our families, our laughter.” – Hali Heavy Shield
Grounded in Blackfoot protocol and relationship-building, the exhibition reflects care, collaboration, and intergenerational knowledge sharing.
At its heart, Land, Body, Spirit is about belonging—inviting audiences to see Calgary’s landscape through Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Stoney Nakoda: Respect and Appreciation
Curated by Leo Chiniquay
This exhibition highlights the cultural values, traditions, and artistic practices of the Stoney Nakoda Nation.
Through themes of respect and appreciation, the works reflect deep connections to land, language, and community.
Grounded in cultural continuity, the exhibition offers insight into the enduring presence and evolving expression of Stoney Nakoda identity.
Tamaani | Here
Curated by Sophia Lebessis (Inuit)
This exhibition highlights the rich art and culture of the Inuit of Canada and inspire further learning with our collection of 12 stone sculptures carved by artists from different regions of Nunavut.
“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. I draw from the words of wisdom of my mother, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, who comes from a long line of cultural knowledge-keepers. From Here, I hope that in your future encounters with Inuit art, you will see how artists from different regions of Nunavut have carved out their own distinct style from a shared understanding.” – Sophia Lebessis
one that continues to grow, connect communities, and reshape Calgary’s public art landscape.