Prince George artist Erin Stagg’s work will be featured in an exhibition at the Two Rivers Gallery from March 17 to May7.
Stagg drew on her family’s Métis ancestry in the creation of Otipemisewak: The People Who Own Themselves. Stagg used acrylic paintings to illustrate the stories of the Métis people through the lens of her own family’s history.
“Growing up in this area, I was never exposed to Métis stories. I didn’t know what it meant to be Métis,” Stagg said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “There was a stigma to being Métis that stopped our stories from being passed down. This collection brings the stories of my family history to light and celebrates them in a loving way. My hope is that other Métis people might find a sense of kinship and love for their own family stories.”
Stagg grew up in Fort St. James and currently lives in Prince George. The Two Rivers Gallery will hold a free artist talk with Stagg on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.