Barry Ace, Nanabush Was NowHere 2005 Acrylic on Canvas 64''x 66'' Private Collection

Workers Arts & Heritage Centre presents: N-nsidiswaamdis: I Recognize Myself curated by Crystal Migwans, Ojibwe Cultural Foundation

January 14th - March 31st, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, January 14th, 2011 7pm
@ Workers Arts & Heritage Centre
51 Stuart St.
Hamilton, ON

The Workers Arts & Heritage Centre is pleased to host this exciting exhibition which brings together the work of some of Canada's most important aboriginal artists including:

Norval Morrisseau, Carl Beam, Daphne Odjig, Arthur Shilling, Travis Shilling, Bewabon Shilling, Nadia Myrie, Barry Ace and KC Adams.

Curator Crystal Migwans will be in attendance at the opening reception to speak about the exhibition.

"This exhibition brings together the work of self-portraiture by artists from across the Anishinaabeg Nation. The works describe how Anishinaabe identity is forged, guarded and carried on by our Nation 's artists, and they demonstrate how the self-portrait in this context can become a potent statement of resilience; a reclaiming of agency of representation.

The title of this show is "N-nisidwaamdis: I Recognize Myself," a title which implies that there is a "someone" for whom this moment of recognition happens. In its [original] venue here in the gallery of the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, on M'Chigeeng First Nations on Manitoulin Island, this exhbibition is addressed firstly to the eyes of our Anishinaabeg community here on Manitoulin. It is their viewership that the greatest part of the exhibition occurs. For from that perspective, we gaze upon the artworks before us, and the artists of the wider Anishinaabeg Nation gaze back. And we recognize ourselves."

- Crystal Migwans. Curator, from the catalogue "N-nisidwaamdis: I Recognize Myself"

For further information or to arrange media coverage please contact: Andrew Lochhead, Labour Arts Coordinato or Elizabeth McLuhan, Executive Director at (905) 522 3003 or via email at wahc@wahc-museum.ca