New AGH exhibit features art by Indigenous youth

Indigenous youth are showcasing their artistic talents in a free exhibition opening Friday at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH).

The exhibit is a collaboration between sisters Melissa General, the RBC artist in residence at the AGH, and Christine General, an elementary teacher consultant with the Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB) Indigenous education team.

“We both sort of had this idea that we wanted to highlight young Indigenous artists,” Christine General told The Spectator.

Part of her role at GEDSB is sharing “Indigenous ways of knowing through storytelling and art,” and through that she noticed “we had a lot of young Indigenous artists who were doing really cool things,” she said.

Unsure of how many students would be interested, the siblings invited students in Grade 6 through 12 from GEDSB, Six Nations School District, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation to submit their work, with overwhelming response.

“It worked out that we had enough space for every single piece,” General said, adding she anticipates the students will be “pretty excited” to see their work up in the gallery.

The exhibition opens April 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, 123 King St. W.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report on stories about Brant County. Reach her at cpercybeauregard@torstar.ca.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator