DAY 1 • THU FEB 08
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
REGISTRATION – Baggage Building Arts Centre (Baggage Building) 220 Sleeping Giant Parkway
Boozhoo/Hello! Register & grab your swag bag.
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
SMUDGE & OPENING PRAYER w/ Audrey DeRoy (30 min.) – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
Welcome Show and Share – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
Each participant is invited to bring a meaningful belonging that will be used with the introductions to the group. Upon arrival, you can place the item on a designated table. We will use this opportunity to introduce ourselves. The item you bring is a tool to communicate a little about you.
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
LUNCH BREAK – Catered by Tania Johnson – Baggage Building (Main Floor)
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Workshop #1 Gifts of the Porcupine: A Quillwork Intensive w/ Jean Marshall – Baggage Building, Jumping Fox (Gallery)
All about quills. Learn how to sew porcupine quills onto home-tanned hide. This workshop is not designed for a finished product. It is about having fun, visiting, honouring the porcupine and exploring its quill. Participants will learn about the zig-zag technique. Helper: Shelby Gagnon
Workshop #2 Applique Beadwork w/ Katie Longboat – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
Learn how to design and bead a mini floral medallion. Participants will be able to view examples of floral beadwork and learn from Katie by watching her design process. Level up on beading materials and learn new beading techniques. Helper: Betty Carpick
5:30 PM
Bus pick up at the Baggage Building and drop off at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery
6:00 PM OPENING NIGHT
Public Reception & Opening Remarks – Thunder Bay Art Gallery, 1080 Keewatin St
Visit the exhibition Radical Stitch in our main galleries and a selection of works from our Collection in our Community Room. Mix and mingle with artists and co-curators of Radical Stitch.
7:00 PM
Bus pick up at Thunder Bay Art Gallery to Confederation College
7:30 – 9:00 PM
CURATORIAL PANEL | Gathering Threads: Conversations Inside Radical Stitch – Dibaajimogamig Lecture Theatre, Confederation College, 1450 Nakina Dr.
A keynote panel with co-curators of the exhibition Radical Stitch, Sherry Farrell Racette, Cathy Mattes and Michelle LaVallee. Moderated by Melissa Twance. Livestreamed on YouTube: @thunderbayartgallery
9:15 PM – 9:30 PM
Bus pickup at Confederation College and drop off at the Delta Hotel Port Arthurs Landing
Day 2 • FRI FEB 09
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Workshop #3 Fish Skin Tanning w/ Leanna Marshall – Baggage Building, Jumping Fox (Gallery)
A guided journey into fish skin leather. Participants will make leather out of fish skins. Each participant will leave with a fish skin leather, an instructional booklet on how to tan fish skin, and samples of items that they can make after the workshop. Leanna utilizes stories and poetry to deepen our connection with the waters and fish. Helper: Jean Marshall
Workshop #4 Birchbark Basketry w/ Gail Bannon – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
Gail Bannon shares her knowledge of and love for, the birch tree. Working with wiigwaas (birch bark) she shares teaching of how to harvest birch bark respectfully. She will teach participants how to use cedar, spruce roots, and other raw materials to create their own wiigwas mukuk (birchbark basket). Helper: Betty Carpick
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
LUNCH BREAK – Catered by Tania Johnson
OPTIONAL | Beadwork Installation – St. Joseph’s Hospice, 35 Algoma St N
Brisk walk up to St. Joe’s Hospice to view the latest exhibition in their hallway vitrine. Featuring beadwork by the Gustafson family.
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
ARTIST TALK | Nico Williams – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
Nico Williams is a featured artist in Radical Stitch. He will share his mind-bending beading practice and his experience as a trailblazer in contemporary sculptural beadwork.
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
DROP-IN & DEMO | Hide Tanning: Freeze, Scrape and Soften w/ Kanina Terry & Shelby Gagnon – Baggage Building, Jumping Fox (Gallery)
Shelby and Kanina are fellow hide tanners, and will share their hide tanning stories with you. They will also show you their tool bundles and discuss their different uses. Part of the demo will be an interactive experience teaching you how to freeze and scrape moosehide. Dress warm, this will be an outdoor activity.
Sewing Circle Hosted by Shannon Gustafson & Justine Gustafson – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
Bring a project to work on as we visit together in a relaxed atmosphere.
Free Skate at the Waterfront – Port Arthur’s Landing, Waterfront
The City of Thunder Bay offers a public ice rink next to the Baggage Building. Bring Your Own Skates.
5:00 – 8:00 PM
Indigenous Artisan’s Market – Goods & Co. Marketplace, 251 Red River Rd.
A special pop-up market featuring local artists, makers, and artisans. Expect to see beadwork, ribbon skirts, quill work, paintings and prints, and more. Support local! If you are interested in setting up a table, please reach out to Jean Marshall.
7:00 – 9:00 PM
PUBLIC RECEPTION | Aanikoobidoon: Stringing Together Past, Present, and Future. – Co. Lab Gallery at Goods & Co, 251 Red River Road. Organized by Melissa Twance.
Let’s party! Join us for a joyous opening reception for a new exhibition at Co.Lab gallery. Enjoy art, food, music, friends, and bead-worthy mocktails and cocktails.
“Aanikoobidoon is the act of stringing things together. For generations, our Anishinaabeg ancestors have strung beads together, developing their own unique techniques, styles, and designs to adorn themselves and their loved ones. This exhibit brings together 10 artists from First Nation communities across Northern Ontario.” – Melissa Twance
Get home safe. Share cabs/Urides if you can. Download the Uride app at uride.co.
Day 3 • SAT FEB 10
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Workshop #5 Edge Beading w/ Shannon Gustafson – Baggage Building, Jumping Fox (Gallery)
Participants will learn basic edge-beading techniques by constructing an embroidered medicine pouch that is ready to take home. Helper: Betty Carpick
Workshop #6 Caribou Tufting w/ Delaney Keshena – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
Tufting caribou and moose hair is an embellishment craft practiced across many Indigenous communities and nations. Participants will be guided through the selection of natural materials to create stunning earrings or pendants that will last a lifetime. Helper: Shelby Gagnon
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
LUNCH BREAK – Catered by Tania Johnson
OPTIONAL | Outdoor Installation by Patrica Ningewance
Brisk walk to an outdoor installation on the waterfront by artist Patricia Ningewance. Continue to the site of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s new waterfront gallery. Go past the marina parking lot. You can’t miss the cranes!
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
ARTIST PANEL | Zaagitoon: Hide, Bead, and Fur – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
An open-hearted discussion with panelists Jaymie Campbell, Delaney Keshena, and Amber Sandy. Moderated by Lisa Myers.
In Ojibwe, zaagitoon is a word that means “to love or treasure (something).” As many artists can relate, the panelists are connected by their love and personal relationship with traditional and non-traditional materials, the land, family, and relations including animals and beings who inspire their creativity and craft: hide-tanning (Amber), beading (Jaymie) and tufting (Delaney). This panel generously opens conversations into expressions of love and care at the heart of what we do and how we do it.
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
CLOSING – Baggage Building, Eagle’s Nest (Mezzanine)
GIVEAWAY – Facilitated by Audrey Deroy & Leanna Marshall
A celebration of our time together. Participants are encouraged to bring an item to be given away. To participate please bring an item. This item can be made by you, it can be a pre-loved item, or it can even be materials/supplies. This is simply an act of kindness towards each other. A parting gift until we see each other again. Bamaapii – see you soon!
Audrey Deroy will close with a song.
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
OPTIONAL | Jangles Moonlight Shopping – Jangles Bead Store, 475 11th Ave.
A moonlight shopping experience. Jangles bead store has extended their hours for your shopping convenience.
Sun Feb 11
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Delta Buffet – Delta Hotels by Marriott 2240, Sleeping Giant Pkwy.
An unofficial group breakfast at the Delta Marriott hotel. The brunch costs $35.
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Radical Stitch – Thunder Bay Art Gallery, 1080 Keewatin St.
If you are still in town, go back to spend more time with the beadwork in the Radical Stitch and Wall Pocket exhibitions. There’s a new work to discover with each visit.