Skip to main content

The Art Gallery of Alberta respectfully acknowledges that we are located in Treaty 6 Territory and Region 4 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. We respect this as the traditional and contemporary  land of diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree, Beaver Cree, Nitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux/Ojibwe and Dene Peoples. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people who make Alberta their home today.

National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023 | Free Admission with the Capital Power Indigenous Art Fund

Sponsored by

National Indigenous Peoples Day recognizes and celebrates the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. In recognition of this day, the AGA invites the public to enjoy our exhibitions for free from 11am to 5pm. All our exhibitions will be open and guests are invited to explore exhibitions featuring Indigenous artists which include kisikayastew ᑭᓯᑲᔭᐢᑌᐤ…when the night shines like the day (featuring the art of Lana Whiskeyjack) and ᐋᐧᐸᑲᐧᓃᐊᐧᐣ Wâpakwanîwin (To bloom, it has many flowers), an exhibition in our Children’s Gallery (featuring the art of Christi Belcourt). See our current exhibitions here. 

We will also be offering several activities throughout the day, including film screenings, a performance by hoop dancer Lakota Tootoosis and a tour by Lana Whiskeyjack of kisikayastew ᑭᓯᑲᔭᐢᑌᐤ…when the night shines like the day. We will also be joined by two local artists: Lonigan Gilbert, who will be leading a participatory paint project, and Sharon Rose Kootenay, 2023/2024 Alberta Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador, who will be doing a beading demonstration and drop-in beading workshop.

This day is presented with free admission courtesy of the Capital Power Indigenous Art Fund.

Schedule  

11am – Doors open 
11am – 2pm – Interactive painting activity with artist Lonigan Gilbert
11am – 1pm - Beading demonstration with Arts Ambassador Sharon Rose Kootenay 
11:30am – Free film screening: Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick
1pm – Remarks by Nôhkom Jo-Ann Saddleback and MJ Belcourt Moses, followed by a performance by hoop dancer Lakota Tootoosis
2pmArtist Tour by Lana Whiskeyjack of the exhibition kisikayastew ᑭᓯᑲᔭᐢᑌᐤ…when the night shines like the day
3pm - 5pm - Participatory Beading Workshop with Arts Ambassador Sharon Rose Kootenay
3:30pm – Free film screening: Slash/Back

About Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick (2017, Documentary) 

Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick is a portrait of a Canadian art legend, Beau Dick. He was an enigmatic carver from a small remote village on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Beau Dick's remarkable masks have been celebrated across the global art scene as vibrant expressions of West Coast Indigenous culture and a sophisticated crossover into the contemporary art world.  

About Slash/Back (2022, Coming-of-Age Sci-fi)

Set in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, a sleepy hamlet nestled in the majestic mountains of Baffin Island in the Arctic Ocean, Slash/Back opens as the village wakes up to a typical summer day. No School, no cool boys (well... except one), and 24-hour sunlight. But for Maika and her ragtag friends, the usual summer is suddenly not in the cards when they discover an alien invasion threatening their hometown. These teenagers have been underestimated their whole lives but, using makeshift weapons and their horror movie knowledge, they face off against the aliens. 

Dates and Tickets

Free, prebooking available
Free, prebooking available
No upcoming dates.
Show past dates
Audience: All ages

Hours

Monday: closed
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: 11am-5pm
Thursday: 11am-7pm
Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 11am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-5pm

Admission

* Restrictions apply. Please see our Hours and Admissions page.

AGA members
$Free
Youth 0-17
$Free
Alberta students 18+
$Free
Out-of-province students
$10
General admission
$14
Seniors 65+
$10

Location

2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5J 2C1

780.422.6223
info@youraga.ca

Directions

The Art Gallery of Alberta respectfully acknowledges that we are located in Treaty 6 Territory and Region 4 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. We respect this as the traditional and contemporary  land of diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree, Beaver Cree, Nitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux/Ojibwe and Dene Peoples. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people who make Alberta their home today.