Art exhibit examines underrepresented BIPOC point of view

A new art show is giving voice to underrepresented, racialized, and equity-seeking artists in Winnipeg.

The exhibit, called Collections Agency, is now on at the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library (MCML), and was created after the organization says it recognized a failing within itself in regards to works made by BIPOC artists.

“I’m so excited about it,” said museum curator Andrea Reichert. “It’s an exhibit that has been in the works for a couple of years.”

The exhibit was created by independent curator Jenny Western, along with Allison Yearwood, who is the executive director of the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art. Yearwood said they had a very specific vision in mind for the exhibit.

“What would happen if we asked artists to re-envision what was in the collection, specifically talking to BIPOC and equity-seeking artists. If (they) were able to actually have agency over what goes into those collections, what would we see?”

The result was new works by Adriana Alarcón, Jessie Jannuska, Naila Janzen, Jocelyn Piirainen, and Lin Xu, five artists who are also members of Winnipeg’s BIPOC community.

“When I visited the collection, my eye was quickly drawn to lace knitting because it’s a passion of mine,” said Alarcón, sitting in front of her large work made of red lace titled “Sangre” which means blood in Spanish. “I wanted to take my piece and respond to it in a big way in a way that spoke of our bloody relationship with colonization.”

Eastwood said the artists took their assignment and ran with it.

“They created such beautiful and diverse responses,” she said. “And they pushed themselves, even in their own production and their own craft.”

Collections Agency is on until August 27 at the C2 Centre for Craft, 1-329 Cumberland Avenue. More information can be found online. HYPERLINK: https://c2centreforcraft.ca/