Registration (by donation), All abilities, ages 10+

We will be creating colourful fish scale art on birch wood, all locally harvested & processed. Learn how to make art out of a the byproduct that's typically trashed, get acquainted with porcupine quills and caribou hair as craft materials, and create a take-home art project that honours the preservation of indigenous knowledge.

This Workshop is part of the Honouring the Children Exhibition & Workshops, organized by CIF Reconciliation Society who thank their funding partners: Calgary Arts Development and Sparrow Artspace!

Taught by Danielle Piper.

Tansi! Danielle Piper nitsiyihkason. Amiskwacîwâskahikan nikî-nihtâwîkin. Otôskwanihk nikî-pê-ohpikin. My name is Danielle Piper and I am an interdisciplinary visual artist located in Mohkinst’sis, Treaty 7 territory. I was born in Edmonton, Alberta before being raised in Calgary, Alberta, where I am currently based. I am a Treaty 6 band member of Cold Lake First Nations, and my family is nehiyaw, Metis and denesuline.

My artistic practice is rooted in traditional craft techniques and articulated in a mixture of nêhiyawêwin- my ancestral language, and english. I document and reflect on my own life using both languages together as an expression of colonized experiences. At times this takes form as traditional drawing and painting or creative writing, other times these reflections become objects or sound and video pieces. I also work in needlepoint, garment making, rawhide drum making, beadwork and most recently, quillwork. The labour of craft echoes the labour of reclaiming my language and cultural identity, as well as the labour required of us to build mutual understanding. I work to honour my ancestors and to share specific knowledge with a broader audience. I acknowledge the legacy of residential schooling and the impacts to my family- an important aspect of my art. As an artist, my foremost duty is to my ancestors and the work that they have done to survive and pass down the knowledge that we all need to move forward in a good way together. Peyakwan. We must continue the work.