MNBAQ presents Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Early Days: Indigenous Art from The McMichael Canadian Art Collection at the Musée National des Beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) shines the spotlight on First Nations art. Until April 21, this exhibition displays 110 works of art by 50 artists from 13 nations across Canada.

The moment visitors to the museum enter the main hall, they are drawn to the welcoming mural of words and phrases in various Indigenous languages. Behind the glass doors, they will find creative and intriguing works of art spanning from the 18th century to the present day.

“This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen [our] ties with the Huron- Wendat Nation community,” said MNBAQ director general Jean-Luc Murray. “This exhibition reflects the museum’s desire and actions to ensure better representation of First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists in the museum’s exhibitions and collections.”

Early Days allows visitors to take in art by the lesser- known artistic communities of First Nations across Canada. “These are large sections of art history that people have tried to remove from museums,” said Ève-Lyne Beaudry, director of collections and research at the MNBAQ. “We are part of a won- derful and fortunate trend that is rising in popularity in the museum world to rediscover this history. When we put this exhibition together, we chose not to display the works in a linear aspect. Everything is mixed up, with old and new pieces often placed side-by- side,” said Ève-Lyne Beaudry, director of collections and research at the MNBAQ.

To bring history and context to these works of art, Abenaki columnist, actor and exhibition spokesperson Xavier Watso is the voice of the audio guide. Through him, visitors will hear the eloquent tales behind the works and discover the 20 stops of Early Days, the major themes and key works and artists. Among the 50 artists, visitors will find works by Dana Claxton (Wood Moun- tain Lakota), Duane Linklater (Omaskêko Ininiwak), Faye HeavyShield (Káínawa), Caro- line Monnet (Anishinabeg and French) and Annie Pootoogook (Inuit) among others. One section is completely dedicated to women artists.

For more information, visit mnbaq.org.