The Minto Arts Council is presenting a new exhibit called An Indigenous World View featuring the work of Christin Dennis, René Meshake, and Harold Rice as well as other artists from across Turtle Island and Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
The show is at the Harriston Heritage Gallery and the open reception is on April 18 from 7 to 9pm. Visitors can meet some of the artists, enjoy live entertainment and traditional food and drink. The show runs from April 18 to May 2.
Christin Dennis is a fine art artist and professional photographer. He attended Georgian College in Owen Sound and majored in fine arts. Dennis apprenticed with many master photographers throughout North America.
His work is used as a teaching aid in helping students understand First Nations art. He is also the owner of the Christin Dennis Gallery in Listowel.
Rene Andre Meshake is an Ojibwe visual artist and author of a children’s book Blueberry Rapids.
He was born in the railway town of Nakina in Northwestern Ontario and was raised by his grandmother. He lived with her for several years, learning the Anishinaabe oral tradition, arts and culture.
He earned a graphic design diploma from Sheridan College, and a certificate from the Humber School for Writers.
Meshake is an author and illustrator, storyteller, visual artist, spoken-word performer, musician and filmmaker living in Guelph, Ontario.
Harold Rice was born in 1957 on his parent’s fishing boat in Canoe Pass, off the east coast of Vancouver Island. He is a Coast Salish Status Indian. Rice studied carving for seven years with native master carver Norman John.
Rice’s carvings include images of salmon, eagle, raven, bear, wolf and killer whale and range in size from one inch to over 20 feet, and take the forms from totem poles to jewelry.
They are found in places like the Canadian Embassy in Lisbon, Lou Odette Sculpture Park in Windsor, many galleries and private collections in many countries including England, Australia, Germany, the United States and Japan.
To round out the show there will be pieces of art from private collections representing other native artists from across Canada and from the Aboriginies of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand and the indigenous people from Fiji.
The Harriston-Minto Heritage gallery is located on the third floor of the Harriston library. Its hours of operation are: Tuesday 7 to 9pm, Thursday and Friday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9pm, and Saturdays 11am to 1pm.
