The Ancestors Are Talking - Summer 2025 Exhibition at The Whyte in Photos
- whytemuseum
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
We're midway through our current exhibition, The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven, which has seen record numbers and overwhelming success this summer. Visitors have remarked on the exhibition as "exceptional," "a privilege to enjoy," and "rewarding to learn about," and it was recently reviewed in Forbes magazine.
The opening weekend running May 2nd to 4th, 2025, featured two celebratory exhibition openings and a sold-out live performance by acclaimed Mohawk singer-songwriter Logan Staats. The opening evenings brought together families and friends of the Indigenous Group of Seven artists, Indigenous communities, arts and culture leaders, members and donors, Banff visitors, and locals from the Bow Valley and Mini Thni.
Collectively curated by Joseph M. Sanchez, the last living member of the Indigenous Group of Seven, alongside Dawn Saunders Dahl, Director of Indigenous Programs and Relationships, and Christina Cuthbertson, Chief Operating Officer and Curator, the exhibition was a significant shift for The Whyte.
In her opening remarks, Dawn Saunders Dahl noted:
"This exhibit is the result of healthy, positive leadership. The team at The Whyte includes leaders who actively pursue actions that embrace reciprocity, ensuring that nothing about us is done without us."
The opening program also included dances by Stoney artists Kyle Kaquitts, Jarron Poucette, Wayne Bearspaw, as well as words of welcome by Stoney Elder Henry Holloway and curator Joseph Sanchez.
Expressing gratitude for the community's support, David Cox, CEO at The Whyte, shared:
"This small organization is undergoing a significant transformation... Our aim is to provide our amazing local community and tourist visitors with a broader range of arts and cultural experiences than previously offered.
The sky is the limit as to what we will explore and provide in the way of opportunities for your future engagement with the high artistry of our exhibitions, programs and performances.
We are so proud to be expanding into these new initiatives. You all give us the energy we need to keep moving along with the exciting transformation. Thanks to all of you for your support."
As the exhibition enters its final months, visitors are encouraged to spend time with the works, participate in educational tours and upcoming events, and bring others into the conversation.
Plan your visit and see what’s next at whyte.org
Gallery 1
About the Exhibition
The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven
The Whyte is pleased to present the summer 2025 exhibition "The Ancestors are Talking – Paintings by the Indigenous Seven," curated by Joseph Sánchez.
Encompassing works from the Indigenous Seven, works on display include paintings of the land and family inspired by the mountains of Jasper; views of the Boreal Forest like no other, and images of strength and resistance, which enlighten us to the natural world and ceremony. Imagination and abstraction are shared ideas in the journey of seven artists who, with their inspiration and wisdom, changed the canon of Indigenous art in Canada and continue to inspire future generations of Indigenous artists.
Art, colour, culture, and spirituality filled the early conversations of the Indigenous Group of Seven, followed by decades of painting and activism. They created art to awaken a troubled world, with colours from the quantum reality.
The Indigenous Seven include:
Daphne Odjig (1919-2016), a mentor for many and master of color and story. Alex Janvier (1935-2024) whose paintings depict delicate lines and with an understanding of color and form that are otherworldly. Norval Morisseau’s (1932-2007) paintings are full of the natural world, shaman wisdom and color from the House of Invention. The spiritual interrogation of legends by Carl Ray (1943-1978), whose time with us was short, but who inspired us to look with a new understanding. The unique abstraction of Jackson Beardy (1944-1984), the sensitive portrayal of nature by Eddy Cobiness (1933-1996), and the surreal dreaming of Joseph Sánchez (b. 1948).
In a braid of sweetgrass, three big strands create a braid, carrying with it the many individual blades of grass. The three retrospective exhibitions at the National Gallery by Norval, Daphne and Alex opened the door to Indigenous arts in Canada.
The artistic legacy of this iconic art collective from Canada is presented through the eyes of Joseph M. Sánchez, lead curator and last living member, with The Whyte’s curators, Dawn Saunders Dahl and Christina Cuthbertson.
This exhibition is supported by The Rimrock Banff, The Estate of Norval Morrisseau, and EA Studios (Jasper) Ltd.
Be sure to visit The Whyte to enjoy this exhibition - on until October 19th!
Want to learn more about our exhibitions? Visit our website and stop by this winter to view them in person!
Gallery 1: Photos from the summer 2025 exhibition opening at The Whyte. Photos by Katie Goldie.
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