Summer Exhibition Opening - The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven

Join The Whyte on Saturday, May 3rd, from 7–9 PM for the opening of our summer exhibition, "The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven."

This free, public event requires no registration. Enjoy an evening of art, history, and conversation, with catering provided by the Rimrock Hotel.

"The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven" is a landmark exhibition that celebrates the groundbreaking work of the Indigenous Group of Seven. This exhibition is a journey through decades of their artistic evolution, featuring images of strength, family, resistance, nature, and ceremony. Imagination and abstraction were shared ideas in the journey of seven artists who, with their inspiration and wisdom, changed the canon of art in Canada and continue to inspire generations of Indigenous artists. They created art to awaken a troubled world and to build a foundation for those who have followed in their footsteps.

The Indigenous Seven include: Daphne Odjig (1919-2016), a mentor for many and master of color and story. Alex Janvier (1935-2024) whose paintings depict delicate lines and with an understanding of color and form that are otherworldly. Norval Morisseau’s (1932-2007) paintings are full of the natural world, shaman wisdom and color from the House of Invention. The spiritual interrogation of legends by Carl Ray (1943-1978), whose time with us was short, but who inspired us to look with a new understanding. The unique abstraction of Jackson Beardy (1944-1984), the sensitive portrayal of nature by Eddy Cobiness (1933-1996), and the surreal dreaming of Joseph Sanchez (b. 1948).

This exhibition is curated by Joseph Sanchez, the last surviving member of the Indigenous Seven, with Dawn Saunders Dahl and Christina Cuthbertson.

Image credit: Norval Morrisseau, Attitude and Attention, Punk Rockers, Circa 1991. The Norval Morrisseau Estate, OfficialMorrisseau.com.

This exhibition is proudly supported by The Rimrock Banff, The Estate of Norval Morrisseau, and EA Studios (Jasper) Ltd.