Reclaiming Indigenous Art as Intellectual Tradition

Indigenous Fine Arts faculty member, Audrey Dreaver has received funding valued at $50,000 through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s (SSHRC) Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research (ICLR) Connection Grants.

Audrey’s project, Indigenous Art: Understanding Indigenous Intellectuality Through the Lens of Fine Art, explores the central role Indigenous art has played within Indigenous societies for millennia while challenging colonial assumptions that have marginalized Indigenous art within Western definitions of fine art.

Through a series of interdisciplinary workshops, the project will connect Indigenous Fine Arts with science, language revitalization, journalism, social work, healing, and education to demonstrate how artistic practice embodies sophisticated systems of knowledge. The initiative will strengthen recognition of Indigenous art as a rigorous intellectual tradition while reconnecting participants with the cultural, educational, scientific, and historical significance of Indigenous artistic practice.