AN INDIGENOUS ART EXHIBITION
As the River Flows and the City Grows is a collaboration between nine Indigenous artists from ᐊᐧᓴᑲᒪᐱᐊᐧᐠ Wâsakâmapiwak Collective and Lougheed House to imagine alternate histories and futures of this historic site. The exhibition features a variety of exciting art pieces that interrupt and transform the house, highlighting diverse Indigenous perspectives of Calgary’s past and how it resonates with us today.
Brought to you in partnership with ᐊᐧᓴᑲᒪᐱᐊᐧᐠ Wâsakâmapiwak Collective, the Alberta Museums Association, and the City of Calgary.
visit the exhibition
As the River Flows and the City Grows is included in museum admission from September 27 until November 17. Visit it anytime the museum is open!
Trapper’s Tent Panels: Beginner Friendly Metis Beadwork with riel starr
November 16, 1:00-3:00 pm
This event is all about coming together as a community to learn about Metis culture and create beautiful beadwork together. We will be working on artwork which hangs in the interior of this Trappers tent (pictured). This tent, unveiled just last year, is owned by Parks Calgary and pops up at various green spaces for community events.
Slowly, through workshops like this one, community members are adding beads to the floral frames of the extra large panels which hold archival photographs, illustrating the local history of the Metis people in Mohkinsts'is (Calgary). We are inviting you to come add your own unique touch!
Whether you're a total beginner or an experienced beadworker, there's something for everyone to enjoy. All supplies will be provided. Let's celebrate creativity and culture together through the art of beadwork. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with the community and unleash your creativity!
The Artists
ᐊᐧᓴᑲᒪᐱᐊᐧᐠ Wâsakâmapiwak Collective
DANIELLE PIPER
Danielle Piper is an interdisciplinary artist and a member of Cold Lake First Nations with nehiyaw, Métis, denesuline, and European ancestry. Her practice is rooted in craftwork, seeing the slow labour as an echo of that of reclaiming her ancestral languages and cultural identity, as well as the labour required of us all in seeking ‘reconciliation’. She is also a board member of Sparrow Artspace, and originated Wasakamapiwak Collective in 2023.
Staci Duchene-Wolfe
Staci Duchene Wolfe is Mohawk from Lake of 2 Mountains in Khanesatake, Ontario.
When Staci started her business WolfDen Designz, she wanted to continue a way of life that her ancestors led for thousands of years. She learned hide tanning, beading and sewing from her grandmother. In her hands, a hide would become buttery soft and would be turned into wearable art for the harsh winters in Ontario. No part of the animal goes to waste, and she is proud to continue that tradition today.
Sarah Whalen-Lunn
Sarah Whalen-Lunn is a multi-media Inuit artist and traditional tattoo practitioner from Alaska, now based in Calgary. Her work explores Indigenous identity, cultural reclamation, and the empowerment of women. Through traditional tattooing and visual arts, Sarah addresses social issues and fosters healing by reconnecting individuals to their heritage. Her art creates space for dialogue, reflecting raw emotions and offering a powerful perspective on modern Indigenous experiences and the need for transformative change.
MATT HILTERMANN
Matt Hiltermann is a Métis artisan, researcher, and historical interpreter. As a descendant of the Pruden, Ross, Breland, McDonald, and Setter families (among others), Matt has strong ties to the historic settlements of Edmonton, Fort Carlton, and Red River. Matt’s artisanship is primarily focused on Métis fingerweaving, using historical weaving techniques with a variety of materials to make both traditional and modern finger woven sashes. Since 2008, he has worked in the museum and heritage field in various capacities. Matt is a citizen of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (formerly Métis Nation of Alberta.)
RIEL STARR
riel starr is a Red River Métis artist whose practice counters the colonial understanding of the Métis people and culture. He achieves this through interdisciplinary modality and discusses themes of site specificity, local histories, as well as past and present ways in which people engage with the land around them. riel creates as a means of challenging and undermining colonial ways of knowing by revealing overlooked and hidden histories through zines and personal writing, re-contextualizing objects and archival materials.
AMBER BOYD
Amber Boyd serves as the elected District Captain for the Rocky View Métis District of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and is also an accomplished author. When she’s not writing, she paints, beads, and creates works of art. Amber also sits on the Board of Directors for the Indigenous Editors Association and represents her Nation on the Indigenous Advisory Circle for Banff National Park. She lives in Cochrane with her husband, two kids, and infamous black cats.
Hilary mcdonnell
Hilary Mcdonnell is a Métis artist who began her practice as a printmaker. This led to making art books and paper structures. As she deepened her understanding and appreciation of the Turner Umphreville in her bloodline, seed beads and other historical materials increasingly became a part of her work. Hilary is a mother and a grandmother, and she lives with her husband and best four legged friend, Sasta.
JASMINE PIPER
Jasmine Piper is an emerging artist and arts administrator in Mohkinstsis, with family ties all across the prairies from Cold Lake First Nations to Peace River county. She is always aspiring to be a better drum maker, fisherwoman and beader. Her artwork includes researching decolonization, Indigenizing art and exploring reconnection to her Nehiyaw and Métis ancestors by connecting with the supernatural. Aliens, magic and medicine are common themes played with throughout her work. ernment (formerly Métis Nation of Alberta.)
AUTUMN WHITEWAY
Autumn Whiteway (Night Singing Woman) is a Saulteaux (Ojibway)/Métis archaeologist, artist, traditional craftworker, and curator based in Mohkinstsis. She is a member of Berens River First Nation in Manitoba but grew up in Treaty 7 territory. As an archaeologist, she has always been curious about the material culture produced by her ancestors, in addition to traditional knowledge passed down through the generations.
Autumn explores Indigenous themes from a contemporary perspective through painting, digital art, and photography. Her painting and digital art is primarily focused on the heavily symbolic Woodland Style of art, while her photographic practice is used as a form of activism to highlight Indigenous issues.