Open beading session with Catherine Blackburn

SAW Nordic Lab's current artist-in-residence, Catherine Blackburn (Toronto), invites members of the Ottawa-Gatineau art community to an artist talk and open beading session in Club SAW and the SAW outdoor courtyard. First-time beaders are welcome! All materials will be provided, and snacks will be available.

SAW staff will be on hand to inform emerging Indigenous artists and makers about the recently launched NEXT Emerging Indigenous Makers Program, generously supported by the Ottawa Community Foundation.

Free admission and cash bar

Catherine Blackburn was born in Patuanak, Saskatchewan. She is of Dene and European ancestry and is a member of the English River First Nation. A multidisciplinary artist and jeweller, her work often explores themes rooted in Canada’s colonial history, drawing from personal narratives to address loss, language, and survival—frequently through the medium of beadwork. Her practice has been presented internationally, from art galleries to fashion runways. Blackburn has received numerous grants and awards, including the Governor General’s History Award, the RBC Emerging Artist Award (Saskatchewan), and the Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award. In 2019, she was longlisted for the prestigious Sobey Art Award. She is affiliated with Alcheringa Gallery (Victoria, BC), the Mann Art Gallery (Prince Albert, SK), Remai Modern (Saskatoon, SK), Slate Gallery (Regina, SK), and the B.Yellowtail Collective (Los Angeles, CA).