North Central Alberta

The Art of Hide Tanning - Tradition Inspiring the Present and Future is a series of commissions to link the past, present and future of Indigenous art.

This project features new works by Amy Malbeuf and Ruby Sweetman created through the traditional thirteen-step Woodland Cree hide tanning process taught at Portage College in Lac la Biche, Alberta. The completed works will be exhibited at the Museum of Aboriginal Peoples' Art and Artifacts at Portage College. Learn more about the hide tanning process on Portage College's website.

Ruby Sweetman is of mixed Cree ancestry and has been a professional artist and an instructor in the Native Arts and Culture Program for over 20 years.

Amy Malbeuf is an award winning Métis multidisciplinary visual artist from Rich Lake, Alberta who works in a variety of mediums such as caribou hair tufting, beadwork, installation, performance, and video.

• Scroll through the slideshow above to see images of the artists and their works.

If you cannot make it up to Lac la Biche to see the exhibition in person, fear not; you can see a preview of the artworks and the hide tanning process in the video below. 

Portage College also made a video about this Commemorative Art Project. Watch it on their YouTube channel.

These works travelled to Edmonton and were exhibited at the Alberta Craft Discovery Gallery, from April 14 until May 26, 2018.

Check out other AFA Commemorative Art Projects.