North Battleford city council members heard a presentation from Leah Garven, curator and manager of galleries, on the activities of the Allen Sapp Gallery, Gonor Collection and Chapel Gallery at their meeting July 15.
There were some announcements about future projects, including the Witness Blanket, a national monument to recognize atrocities of the residential schools era.
Inspired by a woven blanket, the Witness Blanket is a large scale art installation made out of hundreds of items reclaimed from residential schools, churches, government buildings and traditional and cultural structures including friendship centres, band offices, treatment centres and universities from across Canada. The Chapel Gallery will host the Witness Blanket Dec. 15, 2019, to Jan. 26, 2020.
This is also the fourth and final year of their commitment to Walking with our Sisters, which ends in Batoche in August. North Battleford will be sending volunteers to represent the community. The North Battleford ceremonial shawl dedicated to missing and murdered indigenous women and girls will be returning to the community as well.
On a related note, Mayor Ryan Bater said he had attended ceremonies at Red Pheasant First Nation on July 4, along with Garven, for repatriation of Chief Red Pheasant’s Treaty 6 Medal.
Bater called it a “very powerful occasion.” All invited guests at the event received prints of one of Allen Sapp’s works, entitled Pow Wow at the Battlefords.
