Red Lake Woodland Arts Festival: A Tribute to Norval Morrisseau and the Woodland Artists

"On June 7, 1960, Ontario Provincial Police Constable Robert Sheppard wrote to
Selwyn Dewdney, an archeologist and ethnologist working for the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, inviting him to Mckenzie Island, a remote community located near Red Lake in Northwestern Ontario. The letter, written on OPP letterhead, read in part, “Enclosed are some crayon drawings of a young Indian I have met from around Beardmore way. His name is Norval Morrisseau… and he can draw and paint, grew up with the people and knows the stories by heart… Too bad the Museum couldn’t use a series of Indian paintings, or could they?????”

It would take until 1972 before the ROM would acquire some of Morrisseau’s paintings, but by then the artist, who was still living in the Red Lake area, had exhibited his work in many prestigious private and public art galleries, and
received international recognition as the founder of the Woodland art movement. He had also influenced and inspired hundreds of Aboriginal artists to preserve and interpret their culture through their art.

In recognition of Norval Morrisseau’s achievements, from July 4th- 6th, 2008, Red Lake hosted the Red Lake Woodland Arts Festival: A Tribute to Norval Morrisseau and the Woodland artists. The Festival featured art talks and presentations by guest artists, special exhibitions, an original play about Morrisseau’s life in Red Lake, an art fair of original Woodland art from the Red Lake area, children’s traditional arts and crafts, storytelling, delicious food, film screenings, traditional dancing, and more. In addition, there were guided walking tours of where the artist lived for the first thirteen years of his artistic career and painted many of his early works.

For more information about the Woodland Arts Festival visit www.redlakemuseum.com. You can also call (807)
727-3006 or e-mail rlhc@goredlake.com."

For a long while now I've had one of Norval Morriseau's paintings hanging on the wall of my bedroom, "The Great Mother", or as it's written in pencil at the bottom of my canvas print, "Mother Earth". Perhaps it's silly of me, but whenever it seems like my life is hard, I just look at that beautiful painting and think "If she can carry so much, then I can try as well."



If you ever have the chance to see some of Morriseau's work I strongly urge you to. You won't be disappointed.

If you find you aren't able to see his work first-hand, one of his prints is only a movie rental away. Next time you are watching Stanley Kubrick's film "The Shining" (1980), keep an eye out during Scene No. 35 ("Halloran killed") when Jack Torrance (Nicholson) is about to exit out of "the Overlook" holding axe in his hands. You will see Norval's print "Flock of Loons," framed on the wall.


To learn more about Morriseau's life and work, check out this fantastic blog: The Norval Morrisseau Blog

* The prints in this posting are authentic works of © Norval Morrisseau