Art installations celebrate local Indigenous voices

By Tim Kalinowski on September 11, 2021.

Herald photo by Tim Kalinowski - Artist Hali Heavy Shield (Nato'yi'kina'soyi) stands in front her installation work at the Telus Building on Friday.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com

Two new works of public art intended to celebrate local Indigenous culture and voices in the community were unveiled at the downtown Telus Building on Friday.
“The project is a partnership between the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee, the Heart of Our City Committee, the Public Art Committee and Telus,” explained Jillian Bracken, Community Arts and Culture Manager with the City of Lethbridge. “The project is to celebrate Reconciliation Week which is coming up in a couple of weeks, and to add more Indigenous art and celebrate more Indigenous voices in public spaces.”
The two art works were commissioned and designed by local Blackfoot artists Hali Heavy Shield (Nato’yi’kina’soyi) and Cheyenne McGinnis (Natoyihkii) based on the theme of Voice and Representation. The artists created the original works which were then transformed into vinyl wraps by Warwick Printing and transposed over the lower storey windows of the Telus Building on 4th Ave South and 8th Street South respectively.
Telus manager of Community and Service Excellence, Matt Mosby, said his company was pleased to be asked to be the host for the two pieces.
“We were more than honoured to be able to provide that canvas to the City, and for the artists,” he said. “We are really happy with the way it turned out, and we are just honoured to be a part of this collaboration.”
Although McGinnis could not be present on Friday, Heavy Shield spoke for both artists in expressing her pride in seeing their works, which used both Blackfoot and English as part of the design, displayed so prominently in the community.
“I wanted to be really intentional about using the Blackfoot language because the theme for Reconciliation Week is Voice and Representation,” she explained. “So being able to have Blackfoot language and culture being reflected in the pieces for me was really important.”
While McGinnis’ piece is more understated and focused on the idea of the Blackfoot language being passed along between young and old, Heavy Shield said she wanted her work to be a bold celebration of the Blackfoot language and culture being expressed proudly on Blackfoot lands in Lethbridge and the surrounding region.
“I want the viewers to be left with a feeling of inspiration and hope, particularly as we go through this process of reconciliation,” she explained. “We need to have that to continue the challenging work that we do in the city and in the surrounding communities”

Follow @TimKalHerald on Twitter