This major exhibition of James Henderson is comprised of over one hundred fifty paintings, plus an extensive selection of photographs and archival materials. The curatorial team has produced video and audio interviews with prominent Indigenous leaders and scholars about the people and places depicted.
The research for this exhibition included a great deal of historical research in Canada and Scotland. It included interviews with Henderson’s relatives, conversations with descendents of his portrait subjects, and meetings with elders of the Pasqua First Nation near Regina. While much of the research consisted of scouring books and news archives, the curators also explored the coulees of the Qu’Appelle Valley on foot and on horseback to identify the locations of Henderson’s landscape paintings.
Together, these offer a full retrospective of the work and life of the artist, and provide an in-depth look at the Indigenous context of Henderson’s art. The exhibition will be presented at the MacKenzie Gallery and edited for presentation at the Glenbow Museum and the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Interpretive Centre in Alberta.
Photography by Eve Kotyk
