Grey Roots Museum & Archives, as a contributing supporter of the Durham Art Gallery, is bringing the art of Emily Kewageshig to the public in an accessible, unique format.

Kewageshig, an Anishinaabe artist raised in Saugeen First Nation # 29, is known for incorporating Ojibwe symbolism into her work, using bold lines and vivid colours. In her new series, titled ‘Don’t Let Me Be Lonely’, Kewageshig employs these techniques to address the loneliness brought on by COVID-19 related isolation. The series suggests connection with the land as an antidote for this loneliness.

Each of the six images in the series are printed in large format and mounted on billboards throughout Grey, Bruce, and Wellington counties. This method of hosting an exhibition, outside, in locations physically distant from one another, speaks directly to the lifestyle changes Canadians have grown accustomed to under COVID-19. The outdoor and decentralized format encourages viewers of the exhibition to leave their homes, and travel through these three counties, which Emily and exhibition curator Jaclyn Quaresma intend as a first step towards reconnecting with the land.

The display supported by Grey Roots, titled ‘Harmony and Balance’, showcases a blue jay and cardinal, side by side in a sparse woodland, set against a dark background. It stands tall on a 16 by 8-foot billboard on the north side of Highway 26 between the Scenic City Golf Course and Billy Bishop Airport.

Don’t Let Me Be Lonely runs until November 1, 2021. Visit greyroots.com for more information and for directions to the exhibition.

source: media release, Grey County