THE SEVEN GIFTS

THE SEVEN GIFTS
Exhibition runs: September 15 - October 20, 2023
Jointly presented by Sivarulrasa Gallery and Mississippi Mills All My Relations

"Meet the Artists" Reception: Drop-in Friday September 15, 5:00pm-7:00pm at Sivarulrasa Gallery (34 Mill Street, Almonte, Ontario). Artists Nish Nabie, Deborah Arnold, Dale Dunning and Darlene McLeod will be in attendance.

Opening Ceremonies at The Seven Gifts installation site: Sunday September 17, 1:30pm-4:30pm at Riverfront Park (320 Spring Street, Almonte, Ontario). The Seven Gifts public art installation will officially open! Join us for a traditional ceremony including smudging and drumming, children’s activities, music, food, and so much more! Please bring a chair or blanket to sit on.

Sivarulrasa Gallery is delighted to partner with Mississippi Mills All My Relations (MMAMR) to jointly present “The Seven Gifts” exhibition from September 15 to October 20 at the Gallery.

The exhibition features Indigenous artist Nish Nabie’s seven original wood carvings inspired by the Seven Grandfather Teachings, which were cast into bronze to create the Seven Gifts public art installation. The exhibition also features audio-visual material by photographer Rik Walton documenting the phases of the project.

The Seven Gifts is an accessible, educational art installation in Riverfront Park (320 Spring Street, Almonte, Ontario) on the Mississippi River. It celebrates the cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices of the Algonquin Anishinaabe. The process of creating the installation was a cooperative one between an Indigenous artist and a non-Indigenous artist supported by Mississippi Mills All My Relations to reflect the nature of the Truth and Reconciliation process. Artist Nish Nabie is Algonquin from the Kebaowek Territory and is currently based in Renfrew, Ontario. “Sculpture for me at once connects all the spiritual and physical aspects of my life”, he says. Working with stone, artist Deborah Arnold is based in Almonte, Ontario. For her, “Stone carving is a physical, contemplative yet joyous process.” Mould-making and bronze casting from Nish Nabie’s original wood carvings were completed by Almonte-based artists Darlene McLeod and Dale Dunning, respectively. The bronze totems were then installed on seven marble pillars arranged in a sacred circle. Elder Larry McDermott, an Algonquin of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, is the Indigenous advisor for the project.

For information about the show, visit our Exhibition Webpage:
http://sivarulrasa.com/exhibitions/the-seven-gifts/

For information about the Seven Gifts project, visit the Seven Gifts Webpage:
http://www.mmallmyrelations.ca/seven-gifts/


SIVARULRASA GALLERY
34 Mill Street, Almonte, ON
info@sivarulrasa.com
sivarulrasa.com
613.256.8033