Guest artist Christi Belcourt, left, discusses ways to illustrate the stories students heard at the Welcome Ceremony on Monday morning. Zibii Cameron, Megan Dewar and Angelina Barone sketch out their memories of the stories.

A select group of Saugeen District Secondary School (SDSS) students and a group of G.C. Huston students are taking part in a collaborative immersive mural project involving critically acclaimed Métis artist Christi Belcourt and traditional Ojibway Storyteller Isaac Murdoch April 3 to 7.

Belcourt is a renowned visual artist and author who has been honoured with many awards, including the 2016 Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts. Her artwork is part of the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario as well as many private collections.

In 2012, her stained-glass piece, Giniigaaniimenaaning, was installed in the Centre Block of Parliament. It was commissioned to recognize survivors of Indian Residential Schools.

Belcourt also has an ongoing touring exhibition, Walking With Our Sisters, which honours missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Isaac Murdoch grew up in the traditional setting of hunting, fishing and trapping and has spent many years learning from Elders in the northern regions of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Murdoch is well respected as a storyteller and traditional knowledge holder.

Together, Belcourt and Murdoch, along with Erin Konsmo, have formed the The Onaman Collective, a group of Indigenous artists and environmentalists who see their role to mentor youth, using art as an agent for social change.

The week at SDSS began with a Welcome and Smudging Ceremony Monday morning. All staff and student participants were invited to meet the artists and hear the traditional story that will inform the imagery of three large canvases.

G.C. Huston students began the painting of the story that afternoon.

Each of three groups of 14 high school students have committed one full day each to collaborate with Belcourt and other student painters. 

At the end of the week all student painters, staff and community are invited to attend the unveiling ceremony and discussion about their experience and the final artwork. The canvases will be installed at SDSS.

Left to right, Maddie Craig, Frances Rosario, Diya Parikh refine the night sky stars on Mural 2, while Zibii Cameron sketches ideas for Mural 3.

Stephanie Gomes and Kathleen Parsons refine the details.

Left to right, Wade Ritchie, Eric Sedore, Kathleen Parsons and Stephanie Gomes work on one of three murals that interpret the storytelling of Isaac Murdoch.