GUELPH – Work by the late Anishinaabe artist Richard Bedwash, created while he was incarcerated at the Guelph Correctional Centre, is the focus of a new exhibition at the Art Gallery of Guelph.
Richard Bedwash
An opening reception for the exhibition, titled Yours in Native Spirit: Richard Bedwash, takes place Thursday, June 13, beginning at 6:30pm.
Through his artwork, the exhibition explores the profound connection between Bedwash’s life experiences and the city of Guelph, a news release states.
Early life
Born in 1936 on Long Lac Reserve #58, Bedwash’s early life was deeply rooted in traditional Ojibwe teachings until he was sent to St. Joseph’s Residential School in Thunder Bay at age seven.
Returning to the reserve at 12, Bedwash’s experiences fueled his artistic journey, notably his apprenticeship with renowned artist Norval Morrisseau from 1966 to 1968.
Bedwash developed a unique approach to the Woodland style, characterized by bold, pure colours and black lines used to convey traditional stories and beliefs.
Murals
In 2023, Bedwash’s work gained renewed attention in Guelph, as murals attributed to the artist at the Guelph Correctional Centre remain at risk inside a deteriorating building on site.
The murals, a significant aspect of Bedwash’s legacy, were created in the 1970s during his involvement with the Native Sons, a grassroots organization founded by Indigenous inmates.
Exhibition
In 1977, the Native Sons published a collection of poetry featuring Bedwash’s drawings, two of which are handpainted on walls within the exhibition.
Judith Nasby, the founding Director of the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre (now the Art Gallery of Guelph), maintained a correspondence with Bedwash, commissioning a series of paintings that formed the basis of his first solo exhibition and remain in the gallery’s collection.
Each of his letters were signed “Yours in Native spirit, Richard Bedwash.”
In addition to this exhibition, the Art Gallery of Guelph’s summer season features the exhibitions Catherine Chan: Fractures and Futures, Paul Nadeau: Gravel is the New Gold, and What Remains. For more information, visit artgalleryofguelph.ca/exhibitions/#current.
