Internationally recognized Indigenous artists showcased at Georgian College gallery

Feb. 8, 2024

Exploring the world and issues affecting contemporary Indigenous cultures is at the heart of the newest exhibition at Georgian College’s Campus Gallery.

Running Feb. 15 to March 24, the exhibition, Over & Over & Over Again, will feature the art of the late Carl Beam, celebrated Ojibwe artist and recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Visual Arts, alongside that of his daughter, Anong Migwans Beam, who lives and works on M’chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island.

Anong will bring her pieces to the gallery for the first time, while current Museum and Gallery Studies students will select complimentary pieces of Carl’s work from Georgian’s art collection. Carl was the first Indigenous artist to have a contemporary artwork purchased by the National Gallery of Canada.

The exhibition includes a partnership with Georgian’s Wiidookdaading Indigenous Resource Centre at the Barrie Campus and the Anishnaabemowin and Program Development program. It is also co-curated by Anong and Georgian professor Virginia Eichhorn, who has developed exhibitions for high-profile Canadian galleries and museums, such as the Royal Ontario Museum.

“This exhibition gives visitors an excellent opportunity to delve deeply into the creative process of both artists, as well as understanding how their art making is integral to how they live their lives,” said Eichhorn.

The artists’ pieces are meant to create a dialogue about the environment, politics, history and culture, while also working through ideas over and over. Guests are invited to challenge themselves and make personal and global connections to the artwork.

“Creative families are captivating – how the arts inform and echo in daily life, legacy and practice. This exhibition honours the sacred relationship between parent and child and the meaningful conversations that continue between artworks,” said Amy Bagshaw, Director of The Campus Gallery.

The exhibition, Over & Over & Over Again, is open to the public:

• It runs Feb. 15 to March 24.
• Opening reception is Feb. 15 from 5 to 8 p.m.
• Artist talk is March 14 at 11 a.m.
• It is part of the MacLaren Art Centre’s Art Crawl on March 21 starting at 11 a.m.

The Campus Gallery is located at Georgian’s Barrie Campus, D building, room 140, One Georgian Dr. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.