Image: Meriam Berndt, Undertow, 2023, courtesy of the artist.
In 2015, the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended the establishment of a statutory holiday to honour and commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools survivors, their families, communities, and Indigenous organizations. Since its adoption in 2021, Griffin Art Projects has worked with Indigenous artists to listen and learn more about their practices encompassing intergenerational knowledge and formal investigations.
This year, we are honoured to host a talk by the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Indigenous Artist Studio Award, Miriam Berndt and collaborator, Musqueam Artist, Grace Ulu. Their work is informed by land-based practices, unveiling family histories, and reconciling stories from their nuanced matrilineal heritage.
Listening to feedback from past Indigenous presenters, we have pre-recorded this talk to lessen the emotional labour leading up to and during “National Day of Truth and Reconciliation”. We are grateful for their time and generosity and we hope you can join us to listen and learn from Miriam and Grace.
The day of the event, Faune Ybarra Public Programs Coordinator, will welcome you, introduce Miriam Berndt’s pre-recorded talk, and relay any comments you might have for our presenters.
To attend online, you must register for the live stream.
Miriam Berndt is a mixed-media visual artist and landscape designer, living in cə̓snaʔəm (so-called Marpole, Vancouver, BC). Miriam is the daughter of Theresa from Kahkewistahaw First Nation, Jim of Irish ancestry, and the step-daughter of Chris from the Six Nations of the Grand River. Miriam’s work explores themes of generational healing, hybrid identity, and land-based epistemologies. She hopes her work will reveal truths, heal wounds caused by colonial violence, and uncover expressions and innovations that defy the colonial paradigm and promote a regenerative future. Her multidisciplinary approach explores the use of Plains Cree art-forms, using rough construction materials and found objects to express stories of place and experience. In August 2022, Miriam launched her practice “Land-Based Art+Design”. This practice combines both of her passions—art and landscape architecture—to pursue land-based art methodologies and provide decolonized architecture and planning services.
Image credit: Courtesy of the artist.
Grace Ulu is a Musqueam member with over three years of experience in public art. She is a self-taught Indigenous artist continuously learning Musqueam culture and values from knowledge keepers, community, and family. Striving to connect cultural history and stories through contemporary Coast Salish art elements.
Image credit: Courtesy of the artist.