Wisdom of the Universe | Joy
Signed lithographs, Christi Belcourt
Christi Belcourt is an award-winning Michif (Métis) visual artist, based in Ontario, Canada, with a deep respect for Mother Earth, the traditions and the knowledge of her people. “Wisdom of the Universe” features plants and animals that are listed in Canada as threatened, endangered or extinct—like the dwarf lake iris, the Karner blue butterfly, and the cerulean warbler. It reminds viewers of the interconnected nature of existence on this planet, and encourages us to abandon unsustainable paths in favor of an abiding relationship with Mother Earth. An example of her beadwork paintings, reminiscent of the intricate decorative art of the Michif, “Joy” conveys the exuberance and interconnectedness of life. “This wondrous planet, so full of mystery, is a paradise. All I want to do is give everything I have, my energy, my love, my labor—all of it in gratitude for what we are given,” she says.
Christi is a community-based artist, environmentalist and advocate for the lands, waters and Indigenous peoples. She is currently a lead organizer for the Onaman Collective which focuses on resurgence of language and land-based practices. She is also the lead coordinator for Walking with Our Sisters, a community-driven project that honors murdered or missing Indigenous women. Her work Giniigaaniimenaaning (Looking Ahead) commemorates residential school survivors, their families and communities to mark the Prime Minister’s historic Apology in 2008 and is installed at Centre Block on Parliament Hill commissioned by the Government of Canada. She was named the Aboriginal Arts Laureate by the Ontario Arts Council in 2015. In 2016 she won a Governor General’s Innovation Award and was named the winner of the 2016 Premier’s Awards in the Arts. Author of Medicines To Help Us (Gabriel Dumont Institute, 2007) and Beadwork (Ningwakwe Learning Press, 2010). Christi’s work is found within the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Gabriel Dumont Institute, the Indian and Inuit Art Collection, Parliament Hill, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery and Canadian Museum of Civilization, First People’s Hall. Christi’s inspiring speech at West Chester University, “Indigenous Environmental Activism through Art”, is available on the Museum’s website, www.wcupa.edu/museum.
Hear Christi Belcourt’s lecture, “Indigenous Environmental Activism through Art” (WCU, October 14, 2020)
