Miyo Wâhkôhtowin - Artist Talk
✨Artist Talk✨
We’re open! Join us for an artist talk with Arsene Arcand as he discusses his solo exhibition, Miyo Wâhkôhtowin.
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Artist Talk: June 20, 2026 at 1PM
Exhibition Run: June 17 - July 11, 2026
Location: Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre 10124 96 St
Gallery Hours: Wednesday, Friday, Saturdays, 12- 5PM, Thursdays, 2-7 PM
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Arsene’s talk takes place on the eve of the summer solstice and National Indigenous Peoples Day, this gathering offers an opportunity to reflect on themes of protection, warmth, safety, and human potential. Through the teachings of the moss bag, Arsene's work invites us to consider the ways we care for one another and the spaces we create for growth.
This event will take place on the main floor of Ociciwan, and we'll have snacks and beverages available. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Miyo Wâhkôhtowin presents new work by nêhiyaw (Cree) artist Arsene Joseph Alexander Arcand, Edmonton’s fourth Indigenous Artist in Residence. Presented at Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre in partnership with the Edmonton Arts Council and the City of Edmonton’s Indigenous Relations Office, the exhibition reflects teachings of kinship, protection, ceremony, and care through stone carving practices grounded in nêhiyaw knowledge and ancestral connection.
The theme of Arsene’s new body of work for this year’s residency is centered around teachings of the moss bag. The pieces are visual interpretations of a moss bag, what we use to swaddle a baby in Indigenous traditional parenting. The stone motifs of a moss bag is a reminder to return to ôpikinasowin, meaning the act of raising children in nêhiyawêwin, the Cree language. For everything that is ceremonially significant to us, we keep it safe in a bag. This is protection from the outside world, mimicking the warmth and safety of your mother’s womb. Your body is a moss bag for your spirit. Many of the carvings are hollow inside to represent the opportunity to fill the space with something good. It represents the significance of our potential as human beings.