“I see my paintings as a celebration of life. My sub-conscious mind may well dictate some content and I’m content to leave it at that. I am uncomfortable with words - my paintings are perhaps my most honest and legitimate statement.” - Daphne Odjig

Daphne Odjig (1919-2016) is one of Canada’s most celebrated First Nations painters and printmakers. Odjig is frequently referred to as the “grandmother of First Nations art”. Odjig, of Odawa, Potawatomi and English heritage, was born September 11, 1919 on Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve, Manitoulin Island, Ontario where Lake Huron and Georgian Bay meet. She first learned about art-making from her grandfather, Jonas Odjig, a tombstone carver who taught her to draw and paint. Her work is now in private and public collections across Canada.

The event will include a screening of the 2008 documentary The Life and Work of Daphne Odjig (2008, 49 min.) and speeches from Daphne Odjig’s colleagues, friends, and family.