Ādisōke Indigenous Public Art Curator and Mentor, Ottawa, Ontario

Ottawa Public Library – Library and Archives Canada joint facility, opening 2026

In 2019, Dawn was hired as the Curator for Indigenous public art for the facility.  The curator vision is to honour, support and showcase Canadian Indigenous art and cultures by integrating public art by local, regional and national Indigenous artists (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) throughout the interior and exterior of the facility. The public art will create a welcoming and inclusive space representing strong, traditional and contemporary Indigenous artists. Selected artworks will inspire future Indigenous Art programs within the facility. Mentorship is interwoven in all the projects to provide opportunities to transfer knowledge that will strengthen Indigenous artistic voice within the public art field. There are 6 identified public art locations for Indigenous artists, and the results will be announced in Spring 2024.

National artist calls: Seven exterior pillars ($425.000), Exterior sculpture ($150.000), Wall space in Pimisi entrance lobby ($100,000)

Local Algonquin artist calls: Circular Lodge - Acoustic ceiling panel design and floor tile design ($30,000 design), Exterior glass glazing and interior film design ($30,000 design)

in 2023, Dawn was contracted mentor all the artists through the design, fabrication and installation phases, starting with a series of on-line workshops held in winter 2023. Themes for the online sessions included presentations from fabricators, conservationist, Indigenous public art artists, community builders, and curators, to ensure artists and the project team continue to have success, positive experiences and access to knowledge in this project and their future projects.

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Please note: artwork will be created by artists from across Canada