National Day of Indigenous Peoples and Art Advocacy
Jason Baerg says growing up with a single mother and the support of aunts influenced their art.
The Cree-Metis artist, educator, and art curator grew up in Prince Albert, Sask. They learned love and self-respect by grounding their passions through art expression.
“It was just a space that fueled my creativity,” they told CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday, National Indigenous Peoples Day. “I had a lot of great family and my cousins and I were extremely active. So it really helped to encourage my creativity.”
Baerg’s art comes in a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting and media installations. Over the course of two decades, their art has been seen across Canada and around the world, showcasing the unique stories of Indigenous peoples.
“I think about relationships. I think all those values that are embedded in my native way of being (whatever) also translates to how I interact in making work,” they said.
Their success has allowed Baerg to give back to their community by founding the Shushkitew Collective, which aims to elevate Metis culture and voices within the art world. According to Baerg, Metis people represent a small fraction of the artists featured in prominent galleries.
The collective recently opened at Saskatoon’s Remai Modern.
“I know what it’s like to be underrepresented and I really want to make sure there’s a safe space for Metis People to make work and get ahead and make their dreams come true, as all Indigenous artists should have,” they said.
Themes of Baerg’s work focus on ritual, urban migration, indigenous relations and bringing communities together.
“We have to do the work for our people and that is my nation,” they said. “So I believe that’s part of nation building.”
Click on the video at the top of this article to watch the full interview.
If you are a former residential school student in need, or have been impacted by the residential school system and need assistance, please contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental health support and resources for Indigenous peoples are available here.
