Art show project co-curator, Floyd Favel, (top left) shown with some of the artwork featured at the exhibition "Miyo Nepin." (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Collaborative effort

‘Miyo Nepin’ (Good Summer) art show brings together Indigenous talent

Aug 15, 2022 | 3:39 PM

An art show running at Fort Battleford National Historic Site highlights the work of a number of prolific Indigenous artists from the Battlefords area.

The project was curated by Alexandra Nordstrom from Poundmaker Cree Nation, the lead on the initiative, and co-curated by Floyd Favel of Poundmaker Cree Nation.

Favel said after the success of the Indigenous art show held at the Allen Sapp Gallery in November of 2021, there was interest in having a similar exhibition at Fort Battleford too where there is space available.

He said he discussed the idea with Nordstrom and Chance Finegan, stories coordinator with Fort Battleford National Historic Site, Parks Canada, and there was a lot of interest in the project.

“[Nordstrom] contacted the artists; I contacted some. Then, she [decided] how it would look,” Favel said.

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“Miyo Nepin,” which means Good Summer, is the theme of the show.

“We just came out of the pandemic, [so] it’s a celebration of the freedom of movement, the freedom of the summer, and hopefully this freedom can stay in the future,” Favel said.

He noted the theme is essentially about the freedom from health concerns, with the hope that everyone can enjoy good health again.

“It’s a celebration of life and health,” Favel said.

Some of the artists featured in the exhibition include Carl Thunderblanket from Sweetgrass, Meryl McMaster from Red Pheasant, Greg Tootoosis from Poundmaker, Charity Boxell from Poundmaker, and Dana Standinghorn from Sweetgrass.

The curators focused on showing pieces from artists with a substantial body of work.

Favel is particularly impressed with the calibre of the artists’ projects in the show.

“We wanted to encourage, shed some light into this area of the talent that exists here,” he said. ”Hopefully, then, this work can keep going further, and their work can become more well-known provincially.”

Favel added the artists are creating pieces of a national and international quality

“If you go to any gallery in Montreal or Toronto, you would see this is the quality of work we have here.”

Favel hopes to keep putting the spotlight on many more of the Battlefords area’s talented Indigenous artists going forward as well.

“In the future, like in my Performance Arts Festival, we will just keep going, and keep growing, and keep developing. That’s our goal,” he said.

The Miyo Nepin exhibition that features more than 20 pieces is on now through Sept. 4 at Fort Battleford.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW