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In January 2017, the OO7 Collective was approached by Laura Taler, Associate Programmer with the National Arts Centre (NAC) for Canada Scene to undertake an exhibition in response to the Canada 150 celebrations. Canada Scene has been an annual event organized by the NAC that brings together artists in music, theatre, dance, visual and media arts, film, circus, culinary arts and more. The festival features artists who inspire and challenge, reflecting the diverse cultures of Canada.
Core members of the OO7 included Barry Ace, Rosalie Favell, Ron Noganosh, Leo Yerxa, Ariel Smith, Frank Shebageget and Michael Belmore, with invited Special Agent Artists including Meryl McMaster, Joi T. Arcand and Barry Pottle. Artist and Co-Director of Asinabka Film & Media Arts Festival, Howard Adler was an invited special guest and presented his new film Native Nibbles in a special outdoor film screening at the vernissage. The film featured Adler in his persona as Cory Sleeps with Bears baking a birthday cake for Canada, which had many humourous and very tragic ingredients including small-pox (as a poignant settler history lesson). In true Adler fashion, Cory Sleeps with Bears hosted the film screening and post-screening Q and A.
A panel discussion was also held on opening night moderated by Linda Grussani that reflected on the five-year anniversary of the OO7 Collective and Special Agents, including their formation and exhibition history. The participating artists also shared their personal views and responses to Canada’s Sesquicentennial celebrations in 2017 through a poignant discussion on their works of art.
The OO7’s exhibition It’s Complicated was a direct response to Canada’s Sesquicentennial. The exhibition highlighted that for Indigenous peoples of this land, from coast to coast to coast, 150 years represents a very minuscule passage of time, especially in terms of the longstanding presence and occupation of homeland territories. Yet this seemingly fleeting moment in time is monumental in its impact on Indigenous communities, culture, language, identity, rights, water, and land. The exhibition presented an alternative perspective to the widely propagated Canada 150 celebrations by revealing timely and poignant aspects of the convoluted historical and contemporary relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples. As the artists noted, if there is any room for celebration in 2017 from an Indigenous perspective, it is a celebration of survivance, tenacity, and perseverance. It’s a complicated celebration.
The exhibition was in collaboration with Central Art Garage in Ottawa with a unique exhibition space that is in a converted vehicle repair shop.
Exhibition Dates: Thursday, June 15 to Monday, July 31, 2017
Participating Artists:
- Barry Ace (Founding Member)
- Rosalie Favell (Founding Member)
- Ron Noganosh (Founding Member)
- Leo Yerxa (Founding Member)
- Frank Shebageget
- Ariel Smith
- Michael Belmore
Special Agents: Howard Adler, Meryl McMaster, Barry Pottle and Joi T. Arcand.
Related Links:
Ottawa Magazine, Special Agents join OO7 Collective for 150 exhibit Its Complicated; Hull industrial space displays Endless Landscapes
National Arts Centre’s Canada Scene
VIEW OTHER OO7 COLLECTIVE PAGES:
History | 2012 | 2013 (SAW) | 2013 (Blink) | 2014 | 2017
VIDEO: Birthday Cake by Howard Adler
IMAGES: Shelby Lisk (www.shelbylisk.com) unless otherwise noted.
"It's Complicated" install at Central Art Garage (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(work l to r) Ron Noganosh's "Paradise Pipeline Co." (2017) and "Late to the Party" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Ron Noganosh's "Late to the Party" (2017) 
(work l to r) Rosalie Favell's "Shelley Niro" (2013) and Ron Noganosh's "Paradise Pipeline Co." (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Ron Noganosh's "Paradise Pipeline Co." (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(work l to r) Meryl McMaster, Frank Shebageget, Barry Pottle and Leo Yerxa (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(work l to r) Meryl McMaster, Frank Shebageget, Barry Pottle and Leo Yerxa (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Meryl McMaster's "Truth to Power" (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(work l to r) Barry Ace and Meryl McMaster (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
"It's Complicated" install at Central Art Garage (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(l to r) Joi T. Arcand's "Kiyām" (2017) and Barry Ace's "Kitchi Zibi Omàmìwininì Anishinàbe" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Detail of Barry Ace's "Kitchi Zibi Omàmìwininì Anishinàbe" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Leo Yerxa's "Standing in the Twilight of the Canadian Dream" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Leo Yerxa's "Beneath the Billow" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Detail of Leo Yerxa's "Standing in the Twilight of the Canadian Dream" (2017) (Image: Earl Truelove) 
Detail of Leo Yerxa's "Standing in the Twilight of the Canadian Dream" (2017) (Image: Earl Truelove) 
Ron Noganosh listening to Frank Shebageget's "Get Out" AKA Canadian Horror Stories (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Frank Shebageget's "Get Out" AKA Canadian Horror Stories (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Michael Belmore's "Standing with Hearts Full" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Detail of Michael Belmore's "Standing with Hearts Full" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Ron Noganosh's "Late to the Party" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(l to r) Frank Shebageget and Barry Pottle (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Ron Noganosh (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(l to r) Meryl McMaster and Frank Shebageget (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Catherine McKenney, Ottawa City Councillor representing Somerset Ward (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(l to r) Ron Noganosh, Ariel Smith, Barry Ace, Rosalie Favell, Meryl McMaster, Frank Shebageget and Barry Pottle (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Many friends made up the packed audience. (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(l to r) Barry Ace and Meryl McMaster (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
(l to r) Rosalie Favell, Meryl McMaster, Frank Shebageget and Howard Adler (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Leo Yerxa (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Rosalie Favell's "Shelley Niro" (2013) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Frank Shebageget's "Get Out" AKA Canadian Horror Stories (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Barry Pottle and his work "Going up to Canada" (2017) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Full house at Central Art Garage (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Central Art Garage as seen from above (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Install of "It's Complicated" (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Meryl McMaster's "Truth to Power" (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Ariel Smith's "#ThisCouldBeUsButYouSettlin" (2015) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Ariel Smith's "#ThisCouldBeUsButYouSettlin" (2015) (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Central Art Garage (Ottawa) Photo: Shelby Lisk 
Catering for the event courtesy of Adrian Vezina of the Belmont Restaurant, Ottawa (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Howard Adler in character as Cory Sleeps With Bears for the screening of his short film "Native Nibbles" (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Howard Adler in character as Cory Sleeps With Bears for the screening of his short film "Native Nibbles" (Image: Shelby Lisk) 
Screening of Howard Adler's film "Native Nibbles" and a birthday cake for 150 years (Image: Shelby Lisk)