THUNDERBIRD Aboriginal Arts, Culture and Entrepreneur Centre

Apji Gwenaajwang "very beautiful things"

A Holiday Show and Sale of Fine Arts, Crafts and Fashions by Aboriginal Artists at the Gladstone Hotel, Toronto

TORONTO, Nov. 17 /CNW/ - The Thunderbird Aboriginal Arts, Culture and Entrepreneur Centre (Thunderbird) has gathered together a number of exceptional Aboriginal artists, crafts people and fashion designers for a holiday show and sale at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto.  

The show and sale takes place from November 19 to 21, 2010 with an Opening Reception on Friday, November 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Traditional Cree singer and participating artist Rosary Spence will open the event with her drum and a song. The Gladstone Hotel is located at 1214 Queen Street West in Toronto's most vibrant art district. Admission is by donation and door prizes featuring selected works from each of the artists will be awarded at the end of the event. Monies raised through admission will be used to fund Miziwe Biik's Community Christmas program.

Thunderbird offers Aboriginal arts and cultural programs in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Project funding and support comes from the Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts and Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training. Thunderbird's mandate is to serve as a central institution where the GTA's Aboriginal community can showcase, share and celebrate their culture.

Apji Gwenaajwang: A unique and beautiful selection of gifts and works of art will be available for the discerning holiday gift buyer and collector.

SHOW HOURS:

Friday, November 19, 2010 - 4 PM to 10 PM / Opening Celebrations 6 PM to 8 PM

Saturday, November 20, 2010 - 11 AM to 6 PM

Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 11 AM to 6 PM

ATTACHED:	List of participating artists

Artists participating in Apji Gwenaajwang include:

FASHION

Ronald Everett: 
Lax KwaLaams, British Columbia
Images of Raven, Killer Whale, Moon and Eagle are just a few of the icons that you will see incorporated in the designs that bring First Nations culture and images to the world of fashion.  Today, Ronald's clothing designs can be found the world over, from the USA to Europe to the Far East.

Tracy Toulouse: 
Sagamok Anishnawabek First Nation, Ontario
Tracy's spirit name is Enimid kwe ehzhosit - "Woman who dances with kindness". This award-winning designer works with the natural fabrics of wool, leather and cotton which are appliquéd, embroidered and decorated with hand-carved wooden buttons, bone and feathers and used to create a line of colorful and graphic clothing and accessories. The line ranges from street to evening wear.

JEWELLERY

Barbra Nahwegahbow 
Barbra is Anishnawbe from Whitefish River First Nation and a jewellery artist and writer. She has lived in Toronto since 1972 and has worked to promote culture and traditions in the Aboriginal agencies that she has managed including the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and Anishnawbe Health Toronto. With her jewellery, she works with natural elements such as stones, woods and metals. Her pieces emphasize the textures, colours and shapes of her materials. In her writing work, she is currently working on a collection of short stories inspired by life on the rez and in the urban setting.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Jason Jenkins: 
Just like the diversity in his life Jason Jenkins (aka DJ Divinyl) is the perfect mix. Of Ojibwa-African and French heritage, Jason's artistic path of cultural rediscovery has seen him build 15 years of experience as a multi disciplinary artist. Jason's artistic impact continues to grow and right now all of his attention is focused on his photography and building an arsenal of impact full images, using everyday life as his canvas and his camera as his paint. Jason is proud to share his story with his community and anyone who wants to know more.

Nadya Kwandibens
Nadya is of Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) and French heritage from the Northwest Angle #37 First Nation, Ontario. She is a self-taught, dynamic photographer specializing in artistic natural light portraiture, fashion, promotional sessions, and event photography. In October 2008, she founded Red Works Studio, a photography company that empowers contemporary Indigenous lifestyles and cultures through photographic essays, features, and portraits.

VISUAL ARTS

Joseph Sagaj
Joseph Sagaj is an Ojibwe from the remote communities of Eabamatoong and Neskantaga in Northern Ontario. He graduated in Fine Arts at the Ontario College of Art & Design in 1985 and has since had numerous private and public commissions. In 1992, The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples selected Joseph's logo as a winning design, using it in all their publications. Some of Sagaj's logo designs include Miziwe, Biik, Anishnawbe Health Toronto, and Samson Cree Nation in Alberta, Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat and recently the Thunderbird Centre in Toronto. He has created mural projects for OFIFC on Front Street, Anishnawbe Health, Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training, INAC (Indian & Northern Affairs Canada) in Edmonton, and Neskantaga First Nation School.

LEATHERWORK

Manitobah Mukluks: 
MANITOBAH MUKLUKS is a Native-owned Canadian company that produces some of the worlds finest authentic Aboriginal Mukluks, Moccasins and accessories available at better boutiques around the world. All of their products are made in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their story begins in Canada thousands of years ago when their ancestors created the mukluks and moccasins that they make today. Throughout history, each Native nation used distinctive leather and bead-work to reflect their customs and culture. Today as Métis, they create authentic, functional footwear that connects their past with new materials and production techniques.

BEADWORK

Tammy Bird : 
Tammy Bird was born and raised in Toronto and her First Nations background originates from Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve and Sagamok First Nation in Ontario.  Tammy is Ojibway, Bear Clan.  Her introduction to beading was at a beading class at the Native Women's Resource Centre. Fifteen years later, she has countless hours of experience in the art of beadwork.  Working with glass beads, deer hide leather and other materials she creates traditional beadwork along with other crafts.  The pieces she creates are unique and one of a kind. Tammy teaches classes across the GTA in making moccasins, medicine bags and dream catchers.

Tannis Nielsen
Tannis is Cree, Soto, Dene, Danish and Metis, born in Red Deer Alberta and has lived in over thirty locations across Canada. In early 1990 with the birth of her daughter Brittany, Tannis chose to settle in Toronto. In 2006, she obtained her Masters of Visual Studies degree from the University of Toronto. After graduating, Tannis continued to practice as a professional visual artist and educator. Her most recently held position is as an instructor at the Ontario College of Art and Design. Tannis' latest major arts exhibition was held in 2008 at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary as part of the Honoring Traditions show.

Rosary Spence
Rosary is a young Cree entrepreneur from Fort Albany First Nation, Ontario with a passion for fashion and the arts. As an Aboriginal artist, Rosary is accomplished in the areas of traditional indigenous beadwork and fashion design. She is a self-taught designer influenced by her indigenous roots and integrates both traditional and contemporary motifs in her designs. Not limiting herself to a specific design concept, she delivers work ranging from traditional indigenous regalia with intricate Aboriginal ribbon and beadwork to contemporary infant carriers and apparel to jewellery. Spence is also accomplished as a performance artist, vocalist and dancer.

BOOKS

Good Minds Books
Good Minds Books located at Six Nations Mohawk Territory, Ontario seeks to make it easy for educators, librarians and interested individuals to find the best Native North American educational resources available. This includes hard cover and soft cover books, multimedia CD-ROMs, videos, cassettes and educational kits covering all subject categories, all Nations, and all grade levels. They also help Native publishers and writers succeed by distributing their best material to educators, librarians and interested individuals. They offer media with quality Native content that will help strengthen the good minds of all who use it.

OCAD

The Aboriginal Visual Culture Program 
Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University
The Aboriginal Visual Culture Program: Art, Media and Design draws on the rich histories, traditions and linguistic expression that underlie First Nations, Métis and Inuit art, media and design, and concentrates on contemporary practice, theory and expression in Canadian and international contexts. The program provides learning opportunities in visual art, material art, media arts, performance art, curatorial and critical studies, architecture and environmental design and sustainability, as well as other design practices.

Participating OCAD Students:  Erika Isserhoff, Violet Chum, Hillary Despina Hatzipetrakos

Other participating artists include painter Sinclair Sabourin and Nadine St. Louis who does leatherwork.

For further information: