Chilliwack Community Arts Council is proud to join forces with the School District 33 Aboriginal Education Department to present the vibrant and passionate art show: Inspirations by Cree Artist Jerry Whitehead.
The opening reception is on Jan. 23, 5 to 7 p.m. in the Art Room, home of the Arts Council, on Vedder Road.
Whitehead, a Saskatchewan born artist, creates colourful and lively art with an emphasis on powwows and powwow dancers. He says, “Powwow dancers have been an ongoing theme in my work since I began painting. Seeing the dancers as a child had a lasting impression. The subject matter has been ideal for expressing a part of my culture as well as accommodating changes in my work”.
His interest in art stems from his family: his grandmother worked with hides and his mother with beadwork and braided rugs. He credits his family’s encouragement in helping him to develop his art. As family man himself now, he more frequently incorporates family themes into his work.
Along with his natural talent, Whitehead has obtained technical training and has a Bachelor of Arts in Indian Art from the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax.
