QUILL WRAPPING WORKSHOP WITH MJ BELCOURT
Photo courtesy of MJ Belcourt
Join Ociciwan and MJ Belcourt for a Porcupine Quill Wrapping Workshop in the garden!
Date: Friday, August 12, 2022, from 1:30pm - 4:30 pm
Location: kamâmak nihtâwikihcikan garden, 10146 96 Street
Registration: This is a FREE Workshop but spots are limited. Please email info@ociciwan.ca to register!
ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP
Porcupine Quillwork is a precontact art form. A technique practiced for centuries in many parts of North America. Quill working tools were discovered in Alberta dating back to the 6th century CE. Quillwork was the primary form of decoration where porcupines could be found. Quillwork requires a high degree of patience, dexterity, and attention to detail. This intricate art form is used to decorate hide, fabric, and birchbark.
In this workshop, participants will learn the technique of quill wrapping on rawhide, creating a pair of earrings.
No experience is necessary!
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Melissa-Jo Belcourt (MJ) comes from a rich Métis ancestry and possesses a wealth of cultural skills, acquired from Métis and First Nation Elders and Knowledge Holders throughout northern and central Alberta. Her passion lies in her cultural heritage where she continues to research to find better understanding of her ancestral legacy she follows. As a certified instructor, she has taught decorative arts and creative skills within Indigenous cultural art programs and continues to support the community both aboriginal and non-aboriginal in facilitating workshops to teach both the history and traditional art skills.
Recognized in November 2006 with the city of Edmonton Salute to Excellence Citation and Performance Award for representing Alberta at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival by exhibiting and demonstrating her Metis roots in art. In 2009, MJ was awarded the Aboriginal Role Model of Alberta Art Award for her work as an Artisan and as a recognized cultural art instructor. On September 8th, 2018 through the initiative of Canadians for a Civil Society MJ received the Daughter of the Year award. January 2019 MJ accepted the role as Edmonton’s Indigenous Artist in Residency.
Photo Credit Trevor Boller
Accessibility notes: Garden entrance measures 4’ wide. There are no steps but ground is uneven. 6’ of access between planter paths. There are benches for seating (cement, no backrest). There’s no access to washrooms outside of event hours.
Transit: ETS stops at 96 Street and Jasper Avenue 1 minute walking distance (routes 2, 111, 131), 95 Street and Jasper Avenue 5 minutes walking distance (Routes 1), 100 Street and Jasper Avenue 10 minutes walking distance (Central Station, routes 8, 130X, 150X, 201). Paid city street parking and paid impark lots available.