Art Gallery of St. Albert (AGSA) acknowledge that our building is located on Treaty 6 Territory, the traditional homeland of the First Nations and Alberta Metis Nation.

AGSA was honored to present the exhibition Ripples of Loss by Ojibwa artist Terry McCue from November 2–December 2, 2017.

The Ripples of Loss works are a vivid visual departure from McCue’s previous practice. They stand as a powerful tribute to the missing and murdered Aboriginal Women of Canada and as an homage to other works created by visual artists in this subject field. McCue acknowledges the work that has been done in this area by other artists. He states that his sole objective with these works is to keep the spotlight on this issue, in a time where our attention is easily diverted to the next news story on our computer or phone screen.

The number of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada is disproportionately high, this tragedy is the subject of a national inquiry and an important reckoning for those living in contemporary Canada. McCues’s sombre and striking works emit the ghostly forms of the women dressed in red in an ever-changing landscape.

McCue reveals the women in traditional aboriginal ceremonial attire: Ojibwa Jingle Dance dresses, Plains Cree tunics and cloaks, as well as in contemporary clothing. A strong sense of narrative permeates the works. As we view the collection we see that these women were mothers, sisters, daughters, all taken too soon and vanished to violence.

These works have deeply affected those who experienced the exhibition and had the opportunity to hear the artist speak. It is the hope of both Art Gallery of St. Albert and the artist, that these works continue to be shared, either through exhibition or through the sharing of this catalogue.

Jenny Willson-McGrathDirector/ CuratorArt Gallery of St. Albert

Message from the Curator

ArtGalleryofSA @artgalleryofstalbert@ArtGalleryStAlb

Ripples of Loss

I am an Ojibway artist originally from Curve Lake First Nation in Ontario, but calling Alberta home for 42 years. At 30 years of age I participated in ceremony and was granted the right to make my living as an artist. For the next 18 years I dedicated my life to providing community development work in native communities across Canada. When that work was finished, I began my journey as an artist.

Most of my work has been devoted to figurative and wildlife subjects, with wildlife becoming the primary focus. I believe that someone must be the voice of those who cannot speak. This belief springs from traditional Ojibway teachings which address the human responsibility regarding the natural world.

This new work is a complete departure from what I normally do. I can’t say why this work is so important to me, only that I am compelled to produce it. I have been lucky enough in my life to have had the opportunity to follow my dreams. The missing and murdered Aboriginal women, who are the subject of these paintings, were not allowed this opportunity. And not only that, but they have also been denied justice in their deaths. I simply feel the need to stand up and speak for those who have no voice, because I can.

These paintings are incredibly personal to me. It is my hope to add to the spotlight being shone on this tragedy with the creation of these paintings. I am trying to present a respectful depiction of what these deaths have visited upon our families and communities in the sense of loss of potential. The death of an individual is not just their loss. It also affects the lives of their family members and the community they are from. For many of the murdered and missing women’s families, there is no end to the pain of wondering. I don’t think these works can be ignored and that they will add light to the story.

Terry McCue

Artist’s Statement

Art Gallery of St. Albert | Ripples of Loss Terry McCue | Ripples of Loss4 5

Terry McCue, The Wind is My Witness, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 20”, 2017 Terry McCue, Walking with the Medicine Bear, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 20”, 2016

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Terry McCue, Red Dress Study, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 20”, 2016 Terry McCue, Generations, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 20”, 2017

Art Gallery of St. Albert | Ripples of Loss Terry McCue | Ripples of Loss8 9

Terry McCue, A Walk in the Park, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 20”, 2017

Terry McCue, Accompanied by the Sacred, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30”, 2016

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Terry McCue, Three Dancers, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30”, 2016

Terry McCue, Flatland Highway, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 40”, 2017

Art Gallery of St. Albert | Ripples of Loss Terry McCue | Ripples of Loss12 13

Terry McCue, A Woodland Story, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 60”, 2017 Terry McCue, Ignorance, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 60”, 2017

Art Gallery of St. Albert | Ripples of Loss Terry McCue | Ripples of Loss14 15

Terry McCue, Yellowhead Lament, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 40”, 2017

Terry McCue, Healers What Could Have Been, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 60”, 2017

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Terry McCue, A Young Girl’s Dream, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 60”, 2016 Terry McCue, Demanding Justice, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 60”, 2017

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Terry McCue, Yellowhead Lament Study, mixed media on paper, 49.75 x 37”, 2017Terry McCue, Eagle Fan, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30”, 2017

“Hauntingly beautiful, so proud of the Gallery – walking in right relations”

“Makes my heart hurt but this work is so necessary to wake people up”

“I hope this exhibition will travel and be seen in other parts of Canada”

“The red dress holds a powerful message about the invisible unseen 1st people”

“These paintings move through me and grab at my core. The grace of these paintings is astounding.”

“These pieces are respectful, beautiful and a wonderful way to give voice to the women who have passed”

“It is such a significant show at this time when the Canadian public is waking up to truths about Indigenous history in our country... Your exhibit is a form of reconciliation, a wake-up to the Canadian public. The piece demonstrating the distance between the judges on the horizon and the indigenous women is a fine visual metaphor. The others repetitively demand attention to this heartbreakingly distanced treatment of Indigenous women... We must admit that the exhibit is difficult to experience. But it reflects highly important truths about Canada..”

Viewer Response

Terry McCue | Ripples of Loss 23

CBC | This is What we Lost | Video and Article

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-exhibit-edmonton-1.4405060

Windspeaker | Article

http://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/coming-to-st-albert-in-november-ripples-of-loss/

Windspeaker | Artist breaks new ground with Ripples of Loss | Article

http://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/artist-breaks-new-ground-with-ripples-of-loss/

St. Albert Gazette | Keeping the Conversation Going | Article

https://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/keeping-conversation-going-20171104

Alberta Native News | Feature artist for November 2017: Terry McCue | Article

http://www.albertanativenews.com/feature-artist-for-november-2017-terry-mccue/

Alberta Primetime | Ripples of Loss; an emotional tribute to missing and murdered indigenous women | Video

https://alberta.ctvnews.ca/ripples-of-loss-an-emotional-tribute-to-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-1.3679315

Alberta Primetime | Video Interview with Terry McCue

https://alberta.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1182246&binId=1.2002989&playlistPageNum=1

Art Gallery of St. Albert | Ripples of Loss | Exhibition Listing

http://artgalleryofstalbert.ca/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/ripples-of-loss/

Media

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-exhibit-edmonton-1.4405060http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-exhibit-edmonton-1.4405060http://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/coming-to-st-albert-in-november-ripples-of-loss/http://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/coming-to-st-albert-in-november-ripples-of-loss/http://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/artist-breaks-new-ground-with-ripples-of-loss/http://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/artist-breaks-new-ground-with-ripples-of-loss/https://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/keeping-conversation-going-20171104https://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/keeping-conversation-going-20171104http://www.albertanativenews.com/feature-artist-for-november-2017-terry-mccue/http://www.albertanativenews.com/feature-artist-for-november-2017-terry-mccue/https://alberta.ctvnews.ca/ripples-of-loss-an-emotional-tribute-to-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-1.3679315https://alberta.ctvnews.ca/ripples-of-loss-an-emotional-tribute-to-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-1.3679315http://artgalleryofstalbert.ca/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/ripples-of-loss/

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