kisiskâciwani-sîpiy - A photowalk with David Garneau
Join Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre for a guided walking tour of the Tawatinâ Bridge with Métis artist, curator, and writer David Garneau. Together, participants will explore Garneau's public artwork while considering the histories, relationships, and stories that continue to shape the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Rather than a traditional guided tour, this gathering invites conversation, encouraging participants to share observations, ask questions, and reflect on the many ways public art can deepen our understanding of place.
As the group walks together through the landscape, David will discuss public art through an Indigenous lens, drawing connections between artistic practice, memory, and the layered histories of the river valley. Participants are invited to engage with the bridge not only as a piece of infrastructure, but as a site of gathering, movement, storytelling, and ongoing relationships to the land.
Each participant will receive a reusable point-and-shoot film camera to document moments, details, and perspectives encountered throughout the walk. These photographs will serve as personal reflections on the experience and may be brought to an optional second workshop hosted by Ociciwan staff on September 19, 2026. During this follow-up session, participants will create cyanotype prints from a selection of their photographs while reflecting on the memories and stories gathered during the walk. Participants are welcome to attend either workshop independently, or both as a paired experience
This free guided walking tour is the first part of a two-part workshop series and is part of kisiskâciwani-sîpiy, Ociciwan's land-based workshop program exploring the North Saskatchewan River through art, conversation, and community. Space is limited to 15 participants. Please register on Eventbrite to reserve your spot.
When: Saturday, August 15, 2026, 1:00 PM
Where: Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre, travelling as a group to the Tawatinâ Bridge
Register here, limited spots available!
——
David Garneau is a Métis artist, curator, writer, and educator based in Treaty 6 Territory. His interdisciplinary practice spans painting, public art, critical writing, and community-engaged projects that examine Indigenous contemporary art, representation, and relationships to land and place. Through his public artworks and guided walks, Garneau encourages participants to look closely at the landscapes they inhabit, creating space for dialogue, shared storytelling, and multiple ways of understanding public space.
Garneau has led similar public art walks with schools, artists, and municipalities, fostering conversations that recognize public artworks as living sites of history, community, and exchange. His approach emphasizes listening as much as looking, acknowledging that every place carries stories that emerge through collective experience and conversation.
——
Ociciwan is pleased to present kisiskâciwani-sîpiy, a new series of land-based workshops taking place throughout the summer and autumn in Edmonton's River Valley. Across four sessions, participants are invited to gather with artists, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers through walks, conversations, and creative activities that deepen our relationships with the river and the land. We look forward to sharing these experiences with you.
——
Accessibility notes: This program takes place outdoors and includes a guided walk across the Tawatinâ Bridge and adjacent river valley pathways. The route follows paved pathways with some gradual slopes. Participants are encouraged to wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Seating is limited along the route.
Transit: The Tawatinâ Bridge is accessible via Edmonton's river valley trail network and nearby LRT and bus stops. Additional details, including the meeting location and parking information, will be sent to registered participants prior to the event.
This project is funded through the FIRE Grant Program (Funding Indigenous Resurgence in Edmonton) from the Edmonton Heritage Council