"animating the archive/stories for the collection" Opening Reception

Thu, Mar 29, 2018 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

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Student work brings archived pieces to life with fresh perspective

The University of Lethbridge Art Gallery invites you to the opening reception of its newest exhibition, animating the archive/stories for the collection, in the Main Gallery on Thursday, March 29.

This thought-provoking exhibition, curated by Kylie Fineday, an Art History/Museum Studies student intern, along with Josephine Mills and David Smith, features a mixture of student-produced material, and archived pieces from the uLethbridge Art Collection. Its presentation is inspired by the work of leading Indigenous artists such as Jeff Thomas, who explore museum collections and archives and then produce their work to address the assumptions and practices within historical images about Canada, Indigenous people, and the land.

“For a student intern and first-time curator, the task of selecting works from the collection for this exhibition was a daunting one,” Kylie Fineday explains. “While navigating the extensive and diverse collection through the digital database, I focused on selecting works that I felt had relevance to the subject matter of the Native American Art Studio course, which addresses such topics as: assertions of Indigenous identity, the colonial context in Canada, contemporary Native perspectives in art, and performative strategies of creative resistance.”

After Kylie selected works from the 14,500 objects contained within the uLethbridge art collection, the students then chose which works interested them and created a range of responses that build on this history and add contemporary perspectives to the collection.

“One of my goals with this project was to support the professional development of students, both as artists, and also for Kylie to expand her skills into curating an exhibition,” Mills expands. “The process of the students working together, and the resulting exhibition will hopefully build connections and understanding for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.”

The exhibition opens with a reception Thursday, March 29 from 3-6 pm, and runs until June 7. The gallery is free to attend, open weekdays 9 am-4:30 pm, and Thursdays open late until 8:30 pm.

In this image Marissa Knife examines her artwork; courtesy of uLethbridge Art Gallery.