Red Lake Woodland Arts Festival: A Tribute to Norval Morrisseau and the Woodland Artists in 23 DAYS!

July 4th-6th, 2008
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Presenter/Artist: Saul Williams
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The Heritage Centre is proud to introduce Saul Williams, another talented Anishinaabe artist who will be participating in the Woodland Arts Festival in July.
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A former member of the Triple K Co-operative, Saul was born on the peninsula at North Caribou Lake, Ontario on April 20th, 1954. He was the son of the late Mike Williams and Annie Quequish of the Little Crane clan. He is one of nine children in a family of three boys and six sisters. Saul attended Indian Affairs Day School until grade eight. As a child he was always interested in pictures and began drawing as soon as he got his hands on a pencil and paper. Saul attributes much of his creative ability to his uncle, Mayo Quequish who was always drawing and creating cardboard replicas of airplanes and other objects seen in Ontario’s far north.
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Saul received his first paints from Mary Black-Rogers, an anthropologist who spent many years at Weagamow Lake with her husband, Dr. Ed Rogers of the Royal Ontario Museum. In the summer of 1969 Saul sold his first painting for 5 dollars. Saul Williams held his first art show at York University in 1971. Over the years he has combined artistic pursuit with a series of jobs: carpentry; firefighting, dockhand, art teacher in northern schools and school counsellor.
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Saul’s motivation for painting is to share knowledge and tradition with all peoples. ‘Much racism in the world is due to the lack of understanding each other,’ he says. Saul also seems himself as a ‘record keeper’ of his people’s beliefs that are rapidly disappearing in the wave of bland western media that has invaded homes all over the world. Saul’s vibrant paintings are held in the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg and the Woodland Indian Cultural Education Centre in Brantford, Ontario; the Royal Ontario Museum, the New College in Toronto as well as many private collections in North America.
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During the festival, Saul will participate in Art Talks and will be available to meet with youth to share his extensive knowledge of the art world. Samples of his art will be exhibited at the Heritage Centre.
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For additional information about the artist and other art projects of Saul Williams go to NATIVE INTARSIA website.
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Note: Saul Williams painted "Homage to Morrisseau" which was used as the cover art for NORVAL MORRISSEAU AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE IMAGE MAKERS; ISBN: 0-458-97390-4, Art Gallery of Ontario, 1984 /Methuen Publications/
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For more information about the Red Lake Woodland Arts Festival go to: www.redlakemuseum.com.
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* Detailed information about the painting in this posting unknown, © c. 1980s Saul Williams /Private Collection/