FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2023
Midland Cultural Centre (MCC) announces opening of a new exhibit at the Gallery of Indigenous Art
The MCC is pleased to announce that a new exhibit will be opening at the Midland Cultural Centre Gallery of Indigenous Art on Saturday, December 16, 2023. The upcoming featured exhibit at the MCC Gallery of Indigenous Art will be ‘Abwaudung: A Spiritual Journey’ – a William Monague retrospective, and will be open from December 16th, 2023 until March 1st, 2024.
William Monague (1956 – 2019) grew up with the People of Chimnissing on Christian Island. With no access to formal education or training in the arts, he was inspired by the traditional teachings of Mother Earth, the Spirit World and by the beauty of the Georgian Bay shores that surrounded him. This is the first exhibition of his artwork since his passing in October 2019.
This exhibition has been made possible through the generous loan of artworks from the William Monague family, private collectors, Georgian Bay Islands National Park, Christian Island Elementary School, Enaahtig Healing Lodge, the Martyrs’ Shrine, and the Simcoe County Museum. The MCC Gallery will proudly host this unique exhibition, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in Monague’s artistic legacy from December 16th, 2023, to March 1st, 2024.
“William Monague’s art brilliantly illuminates the profound beauty of Indigenous culture. Through each masterpiece, Monague invites us to walk the sacred path he tread, where the shores of Georgian Bay meet the echoes of ancestral wisdom,” says John Hartman, committee member. “His brush, guided by the unseen hands of heritage, leaves an indelible mark, reminding us that art is not just about what is created but the spirit it carries forward. In the tapestry of Indigenous art, William Monague’s contribution is a vibrant thread, weaving tales of resilience, connection, and the boundless power of creative expression.”
We invite you to join us in celebrating the opening of “Abwaudung: A Spiritual Journey” on Saturday, December 16th from 2 to 5pm at the Midland Cultural Centre Gallery of Indigenous Art.
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About the Gallery
With programming and oversight by an Indigenous member majority committee, the MCC operates the Gallery of Indigenous Art focusing on work by artists and artisans of the Beausoleil First Nation and members of the Georgian Bay Métis community.
