Woodlands Style

The term Woodlands Style (also called Woodlands Metis Art, Legend Art or Medicine Art) came into being to differentiate the people of Northwestern Ontario from the later Praire Metis culture. The Metis artists of the region gained recognition through the efforts of local Ojibwa artists notably Norval Morriseau [http://www.redkettle.com/biographies/norval-morrisseau.htm] and Carl Ray. Ray was one of the first native artists to show the secret legends of the Cree people in his art. Ray was the friend and apprentice to Morrisseau. [http://www.redkettle.com/biographies/carl-ray.htm] . In the late seventies the work of William Hedican, another Morriseau apprentice, appeared in galleries and Dimension Magazine used the term Woodland Metis Art to describe his work

The study of Metis art is complicated because their art style influenced Indian artisans all over North America. The Metis put their stamp on the art of practically every tribal group of the Northern Plains and the Northwest Territories. Many museums today have huge collections of Aboriginal art, but most of those created by the Metis are not marked as distinctly Metis. It is a tragedy that most of these items are catalogued as belonging to their owners; who usually were the last individual to trade the goods.

Many artifacts are marked as Woodland Cree or Plains Cree or Assiniboine and the Metis name can hardly ever be found. As well, a huge number have simply been marked as "from the fur trade". As a result it is easier to define what is not a Metis artifact than isolating one that is. Items of Metis origin have been neglected in Canadian galleries, museums, art centers and other cultural institutions. Metis handmade furniture has usually been attributed to pioneers. [http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/4832/art.html]

References

* cite web
title = Art of the Metis
url = http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/4832/art.html
accessdate = 2007-02-08

* cite web
title = Red Kettle Art & Collectibles
url = http://www.redkettle.com/biographies/norval-morrisseau.htm
accessdate = 2007-02-08

* Norval Morrisseau, Donald C. Robinson, "Travels to the House of Invention", Key Porter Books Ltd, Canada, 1997, ISBN 1-55013-880-4.

External links

* [http://www.seventhgenerationgallery.com/ Seventh Generation Gallery] Native Contemporary Canadian Art Gallery (Woodland Art) in Europe, The Netherlands.