What can be done to make art activities and displays about residential schools and reconcile them more just, healthy, and equitable?
The obstacles to mounting exhibitions and other art programmes in the context of the residential school system as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as noted by the experts consulted for this piece, are numerous. However, they claim that there are methods for artists to mitigate or respond to these obstacles differently.
Re-examining our concepts of art history and bringing that re-examination more completely into our art education institutions, according to Steve Loft, is one method to create fairness in the art environment in general. One of the most important things I believe we need to understand about Aboriginal art is that it has its own history. It has a unique artistic past. Everything goes back to the beginning of time.
We also wanted to keep a crucial distance from the TRC, so we decided not to seek any of the cash that was made accessible for reconciliation-related projects. Some argue that a residential approach to these issues, instead of an exhibition approach, is healthier because it focuses less on public displays of grief and more on individual research and analysis.
