Kwakiutl sculptor Mary Anne Barkhouse travelled from her home in Minden, ON to Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon, SK in the summer of 2019. While there, she walked the trails of the Opimihaw Valley with archeologist Dr. Ernie Walker, spoke with the park staff, and allowed the deep history of the territory to inspire her. Her exhibition, opimihaw, touches on themes of restoration, resilience, reconciliation, and the integrity–in both the physical and spiritual sense–of human and non-human life. Tapestry, sculpture, prints, and installations come together to recount the story of Wanuskewin.

Mary Anne Barkhouse was born in Vancouver, BC, but has strong ties to both coasts as her mother is from the Nimpkish band, Kwakiutl First Nation of Alert Bay, BC, and her father is of German and British descent from Nova Scotia. She is a descendant of a long line of internationally-recognized Northwest Coast artists that includes Ellen Neel, Mungo Martin, and Charlie James. She graduated with honours from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and has exhibited widely across Canada and the United States. As a result of personal and family experiences with land and water stewardship, Barkhouse’s work examines ecological concerns and intersections of culture through the use of animal imagery. Inspired by issues surrounding empire and survival, Barkhouse creates installations that evoke consideration of the self as a response to history and environment.

YouTube Playlist of Exhibition