Unama’ki Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design is pleased to announce a new exhibition called Elmi’knik (Indigenous Futures). Through works that combine traditional practices and contemporary mediums the artists in this exhibition make it known that Mi’kmaq people are still here and will be as long as we live. The show features the work of Jordan Bennett’s quillwork paintings, Meagan Musseau’s Beothuk pendants, Renée Condo’s giant beadwork, and Mel Beaulieu’s augmented reality beadwork.

The exhibition will be on display in the Loft at Unama’ki Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design beginning July 22, 2024. An opening reception with light refreshments will be held in the Loft on July 25, from 5-7:30pm.  

Indigenous Futurism is an artistic movement that looks at how Indigenous cultures intersect with technology and science fiction by reimagining oversimplified ideas as well as alternative histories and futures. The term “Indigenous Futurism” was first coined by Anishinabe professor Grace Dillion in 2003, paying homage to Afrofuturism which weaves in traditional knowledges and cultures with futuristic ideas and settings. Indigenous Futurisms address past and present consequences of colonialism, activate Indigenous knowledge systems, and consider ways to heal and build better futures for Indigenous peoples. By bringing into view the violence towards Indigenous peoples implicated in the development of what is currently called Canada, Indigenous Futurisms encourage Indigenous peoples to reject colonial ideas of the future and instead reimagine a space that makes room for stories that celebrate relationships and connections to community.  

View the Elmi’knik (Indigenous Futures) catalog here.

Ground Rules: What the Spruce Trees Saw but Didn’t Say, is an exciting group exhibition based on an experiential learning residency program in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The four-day residency program was presented by Unama’ki Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design in collaboration with Parks Canada in June 2023. Thirteen Nova Scotia-based artists with diverse backgrounds explored new ideas inspired by the natural landscapes of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, while interacting with park interpreters and creative leaders. 

The Ground Rules residency provided participating artists with the opportunity to explore innovative ways of working in their medium, connect to their individual heritage, and discover the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and Western scientific processes.