Indian Group of Seven

The Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation, better known as the Indian Group of Seven, was a group of professional Indian artist from Canada, founded in November 1973.

The group combined forces to promote their art work and Indian art in general, into the world of western art and to a change the way the world looked at this art. A shift from an emphasis on “Indigenous (Native)” to “artistic” value.

The group consisted of Daphne Odjig, Alex Janvier, Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray and Joseph Sanchez

History

In 1972, there was a joint exhibition in Winnipeg of Jackson Beardy, Alex Janvier and Daphne Odjig named "Treaty Numbers 23, 287 and 1171" referring to their treaty numbers, which was given to Indian tribes which the Canadian government had concluded a treaty. It was an exhibition where indigenous modern art was brought in front to the Canadian audience, for artistic recognition.

The successful exhibition was the precursor of the foundation of the “Professional Native Indian Artists Association” in November 1973, in which Daphne Odjig was the driving force. At her home in Winnipeg, she invited Alex Janvier, Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray and Joseph Sanchez to discuss their mutual concerns about art. These meetings provided a sense of community among the artists and a forum for criticism of their work. It resulted in November 1973 into a proposal to formalise their movement into the “Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (PNIAI)”, funded by the Department of Indian Affairs. PNIAI was incorporated in February 1974 by all seven members.

The group was better known as the “Indian Group of Seven”. The informal name was given to them by journalists, referring to the highly esteemed “Group of Seven” who painted Canadian landscapes in a impressionistic style in the 1920s.

The “Indian Group of Seven” had many joint exhibitions in Canada. The last in which all participated was in Montreal in 1975. The group disbanded in 1975.

Political and social ideals

Beside combined forces to promote Indian art into the Western art world, they had strong Ideals to a change the way the world looked at their art. They wanted a shift from an emphasis on “Indigenous (Native)” to “artistic” value and recognition. Their objectives where:
* to develop a fund to enable artists to paint;
* to develop a marketing strategy involving prestigious commercial galleries in order to enable exhibit their work;
* to travel to aboriginal communities to stimulate young artists;
* to establish a trust fund, using a portion of the sales of artworks, for scholarship programme for emerging artists.

These were high ideals in a time where native Indians had only recently been given voting rights and in which they politically fought for human rights. With these ideals, they were part of a movement which also included the "Triple K Co-operative Incorporated”, a Native-run silk-screen organisation which established around the same time.

Although the group as a whole was briefly together, the fact that they did exist was a crucial step in the development of the concept of Indigenous Indian art as part of the Canadian cultural art world. The existence of the group has paved the way for younger generations.

External links

* [http://www.seventhgenerationgallery.com/ Seventh Generation Gallery] "Native Contemporary Canadian Art Gallery" in the Nederland including art of members of the “Indian Group of Seven”.
* [http://www.native-art-in-canada.com/indiangroupofseven.html Indian Group of Seven] Website "Native Art In Canada".

References

*Bailey, Jan and Morgan Wood. "Daphne Odjig: Four Decades of Prints." Kamloop Art Gallery, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, 2005. ISBN 1895497612
*Martin, Lee-Ann and Robert Houle. "The Art of Alex Janvier: His First Thirty Years, 1960-1990." Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Ontario, Canada, 1993. ISBN 0920539416
* Native Art In Canada website, 2007
* Hughes, Kenneth. "The Life and Art of Jackson Beardy." Winnipeg: Canadian Dimension Publishers; Toronto: J. Lorimer, 1979. ISBN 0888622783