(Government of Alberta)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Kihohkewin/Gone Visiting

Métis Cree artist from central Alberta named province’s Artist in Residence

Apr 16, 2023 | 2:00 PM

A Métis Cree artist from central Alberta has been selected as the fourth Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador to promote the value of arts in Alberta.

Sharon Rose Kootenay, hailing from her home on Treaty 6 land, is a lifelong maker of traditional art forms and finds her inspiration in the prairies.

Through her residence, she will create a two-part beadwork and mixed medium project titled Kihohkewin/Gone Visiting and Pihtikwe/Come In!

The first part will interpret the highlights of travel, visiting with friends and family, picking up the threads of conversation and exploring traditions and landscapes along the way. The second part will encompass the Métis Cree concept of ‘Home Fire.’

“As an artist of Métis Cree and Ukrainian ancestry, I am honoured and humbled to have been selected as the 2023 Alberta Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador,” says Kootenay.

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“Our lives are enriched by creative practice, and craft is a medium that articulates memories, celebrates relationships, and contains stories, hopes and wishes. I look forward to meeting many Albertans and gaining a deeper appreciation and understanding of the diversity of our shared artistic practices and expression of cultural perspectives.”

The province note it is the only jurisdiction in Canada to offer a provincial artist in residence program. The program seeks to inspire innovation in and increase appreciation of the arts and artists, the province says.

The residency comes with a $25,000 grant and up to $25,000 for artist expenses.

Kootenay’s term runs from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024.

“The arts enrich our lives and our vibrant culture and economy. I am pleased to announce Sharon Rose Kootenay as Alberta’s Artist in Residence,” says Jason Luan, Culture Minister. “Sharon will enrich Alberta’s art scene through her talent and wisdom, as well as bring joy and inspiration to other artists and patrons of the arts.”

In 2020, the province points out, the visual and applied arts and live performance industries contributed about $1.1 billion in gross domestic product and sustained nearly 15,000 jobs in Alberta.