Tixx Central

Saturday, October 14, 12:00-2:00pm in the Esplanade Art Gallery
Saturday, November 18, 12:00-2:00pm in the Esplanade Art Gallery

We invite you to craft and connect while surrounded by the beautiful, beaded creations of artist Catherine Blackburn. Within this exhibition titled “New Age Warriors”, Blackburn displays her work in beaded garments, headpieces, photographs, and video to address Canada’s colonial past, prompted by personal narratives. Through the subject of family, she is inspired to express her own feelings and experiences that speak to the complexities of memory, history, and identity. Much like Catherine’s work, workshop facilitator and artist-storyteller Brenda Mercer has used her passion for Indigenous crafting as a way to connect with her Indigenous heritage. In this 2-hour workshop, Brenda explores themes parallel to Blackburn’s exhibition through conversation while instructing basic beading techniques. The finished product will be a lovely piece of beaded jewelry. We invite you to come connect, converse, and try your hand at beading! No experience necessary, all materials will be provided.

Brenda Mercer has been beading for 51 years, as she started when she was eight years old. Her non-Indigenous cousin taught her how to do the daisy stitch, and Mercer was hooked. The artist always has earrings inside her purse, to give to strangers and friends. When giving, she shares a little bit about who she is and her story, “I tell them, ‘I made these for you with all my love and good intentions. I’ve had people come up to me a year later saying they wear them with pride and still feel the love.'”