Exchanges

The Guild is proud to present Exchanges: A Showcase of Indigenous Fine Crafts from the Northwest Territories. The Northwest Territories are known for a rich and diverse material and visual culture. Twenty-seven distinct First Nations groups, Inuit, Métis, and non-Indigenous Canadian peoples call this region home. The artists and makers presented in Exchanges contribute to the artistic and cultural communities of the territories while drawing from its natural splendor. 

Exchanges marks the beginning of a collaboration between The Guild and NWT Arts and a first co-presentation of artists from the Northwest Territories. This exhibition facilitates an exchange in which local artists, artisans, and their admirers can observe and experience making techniques specific to the Northwest Territories. Amongst the items on display there will be caribou and moose hair tufting from the Southern Dhecho region, the 5-petal rose motif, hide tanning and quillwork and beading. The ecosystems of the Northwest Territories require artists to work with region-specific natural materials and execute these artforms through skills that are physically demanding and require delicate care of each natural element (material). 

This selection of works highlights art practices and ways of making that incorporate knowledge passed down through familial lines, time, and intercultural exchange. Exchanges celebrates the wearable and decorative artworks by multi-disciplinary artists Alisa Blake (Gwich'in Metis and lnuvialuit) and Catherine Blondin (Dene); sweeping, narrative tapestries and delicate adornments bybead and hide workers Cheryl Fennell (Dene) and Sheena Yakeleya (Dene); and representations of fauna by sculptor John Sabourin (Dene).