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Our People will sleep fora hundred years. It will be the artists who bring

their spirit back Louis Riel, 1885

www.dawnmariemarchand.com

Untitled: A Place to Hang Your Stories

TRC Collaborative Community Art Project

Prepared by Dawn Marie Marchand

Cree/Metis Contemporary Artist

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The Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be making its 7th and final stop in

Edmonton on March 27 30, 2014. We would invite any survivors, family of survivors

or people affected by Indian Residential Schools in Alberta to contribute to this Wall.

We are asking for 3 x 9 inch drawings, paintings or any creative expression of your

experience to be included on a collaged component of an Installation to be displayed

during the Event.

A Place to Hang Your StoriesCollaborative Art InstallationThe TRC Edmonton 2014

Artwork:ForJoanebyD

awnMarieMarchand

UsedwithPermissionbyT

omandJoriHunter

JoinusonFacebook:https:

//www.facebook.com/groups/470

325939739515/?bookmark_t

ForMoreInformationPleaseemail:dawn.marie.march

and@hotmail.ca

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Background

In Fall 2013, I was approached by a community member who knew that the upcoming

Truth and Reconciliation Commission was coming to Edmonton at the end of March. She

had witnessed the power of the Walking With Our Sisters Exhibit to bring community

awareness to an issue, give people a voice who havent always been heard and in some

cases bring healing. She had also seen the work I did creating a community installation at

the Edmonton International Folk Festival in August, 2013. She wondered if such a project

could happen for Residential School Survivors and their intergenerational descendants

who are still affected even if they did not attend themselves. This project came out of this

talk. It is currently untitled until I get confirmation from someone about the name. There

are three parts to this Installation; the call for submissions, the installation at the site and

the transformation at Blue Quills First Nation University.

Part 1: The Collaborative Piece-Public Call for SubmissionsThe preceding page is the poster for the call and the following is text from the

Information package.

About the Project

The concept is simple: I need paper bricks. I will collage these bricks onto either stage

walls or canvas walls. Much of the final installation will be left up to the venue of the

installation. I will be working with local Indigenous Artists in the final construction but for

now I need bricks. There is also an agreement with Blue Quills First Nation University tocreate a permanent public art feature using parts of this installation.

Who can submit?

Any person who is affected by Indian Residential Schools, this includes survivors,

descendants of survivors, spouses of survivors. This is an open call. I will work with

however many bricks that I receive. I need 391 bricks to do one 10 x 10 wall and would

like to fill 4 walls. So ideally I need 1564 bricks. Unfortunately, I will not be able to return

your bricks to you. They will become a permanent part of this installation. There is no

limit to the amount of bricks you want to send in.

Content:

Draw, paint, quilt or collage anything you want to show about Indian Residential

School and how it affects your life.

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Requirements:

1 3 x 9 piece of paper or flattened material. We have to be able to secure it to the

wall so one side must be flat.

2 Please put your name, address and Nation on the back. Please also sign on the backconfirming that you know your work will be part of an installation and will not be returned

to you. There may also be photography of the installed work. I will not be photographing

every piece but if you would like to post photographs on our page you are welcome to.

Recommendations:

I would like to see a good portion on brown paper, like a lunch bag, brown bag, butcher

paper, cardboard box but please feel free to use whatever paper or material you have

available to you.

If you are collaging, please double check your adhesive is holding everything together. We

dont want to lose pieces.

Mail to:

Dawn Marie Marchand

Box 6817

Bonnyville, AB T9N 2H3

Email Contact:

dawn.marie.marchand@hotmail.ca

All artwork must be received before March 19, 2014. After this we will be building and

constructing the Installation.

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Part Two: The Installation

I will require some helpers to collage and put the installation together. I will be actively

seeking a space to do this. One option is to purchase a 10 x 10 ft Gazebo Tent and use the

frame and canvas to collage to. It would become a self-contained room so it could be used

outside in a sheltered space with minimal exposure to wind and rain. Or we could set up

four stage walls. Two which work like a hallway and the last two create a faux room leading

the participants through an interior exhibit.

This room would house a handful of sparse furnishings. An old wooden desk, some old

books, possibly a black board, a small aged bi-fold picture frame with children and a picture

of Joane Cardinal-Schubert whosart installation, The Lesson was ground breaking in the

1980s for creating dialogue around the Indian Residential School. If her installation

cannot be brought to Edmonton for this event then it should be acknowledged.

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Part 3: The Healing Garden Installation

Before people enter the installation; they will be asked to hold a stone in their left

hand. I have approached two people to be sure that asking them to do this does not conflict

with any protocols and have been given confirmation and blessing for this. Once they have

gone through the installation; we will ask them to leave the stones. The stones will be

smudged and be clean before the installation and will be ready to be used. The stones will

be piled up and then they will be taken to Blue Quills First Nation University to become

part of a path in the Healing Garden on their grounds. The following is a link to an article

about the Garden.

http://www.spjournal.com/article/20120515/STP0801/305159972/-1/stp/journey-to-

create-healing-garden-begins

I have been looking at the following stone: It is called Alberta Creekstone. It is a nice size to

hold in the hand and will function as a fidget (an item that people unconsciously rub or

squeeze with when they are in emotional situations or concentrating very hard to relieve

stress).

http://www.spjournal.com/article/20120515/STP0801/305159972/-1/stp/journey-to-create-healing-garden-beginshttp://www.spjournal.com/article/20120515/STP0801/305159972/-1/stp/journey-to-create-healing-garden-beginshttp://www.spjournal.com/article/20120515/STP0801/305159972/-1/stp/journey-to-create-healing-garden-beginshttp://www.spjournal.com/article/20120515/STP0801/305159972/-1/stp/journey-to-create-healing-garden-beginshttp://www.spjournal.com/article/20120515/STP0801/305159972/-1/stp/journey-to-create-healing-garden-begins