Among the Falling Stars: Megwe-aya’iing anangoog gaa-bangishimowaad

A close up view of the mouth of a bear sculpture. The bear is covered in brightly coloured tiles.

April 1 – May 7, 2022

Opening: April 1, 7-10 pm
Virtual Artist Talk: May 5, 7 pm via Zoom

It began with a box of discarded vintage Italian tile. I made natural scenes in rough geometric shapes. With time, trial and error, stories took shape.

The tile speaks of the terrazzo floors built by my Italian neighbours. It tells of mining, asbestos, and the hazardous chemicals required to achieve vivid permanent colours.

From these stories, I broke, smashed, and carved them into something new. I tell my own stories, and those of the animals of this region articulating the scars, chips, and scrapes we bear from survival in this colonial reality.

My disabilities pose unique challenges to my practice. I must rest my injured spine often. A heavy gas mask protects my hyper-sensitive immune system.

My reality of being a disabled, queer, urban-Indigenous trauma survivor encompasses every inch of this work. The silver lining is the zen pain-free state I can achieve during high-focus work sessions. From this work comes both pain and medicine; beauty from the broken.

Thank you to the Ontario Arts Council for their support with exhibition assistance.

Michel Dumont is a queer Metis two-spirited disabled artist, and survivor of intergenerational trauma stemming from Indian Day School. He currently resides in Thunder Bay. He works in wearable art, using packing tape, mylar, cellophane and LED lights.

A blurred figure walks across the gallery. Behind them are 3 tiled mosaic animal heads mounted on the wall, 2 are bears and 1 is a deer. There is a tiled mosaic image framed on the wall. A brightly glowing orb is on the floor next to the wall.

4 tiled mosaic animal heads mounted on the wall, 2 are bears and 2 are deer. A tiled mosaic bear is in the corner. 4 brightly glowing orbs are scattered on the floor.

A tiled mosaic bear surrounded by brightly glowing orbs on the floor. On either side are mosaic deer heads mounted on the wall.

A blurred person walking across the gallery. Behind them, are 3 tiled mosaic bear heads, 1 tiled mosaic deer head mounted on the wall. In the corner is a large tiled mosaic bear. On the floor are bright glowing orbs.

3 tiled mosaic bear heads mounted on the wall.

Two tiled mosaic weasel sculptures sit on top of plinths.

A tiled mosaic bear head is mounted on the wall next to a tiled mosaic beaver sculpture which sits on top of a white rectangular plinth.

A person is leaning out of a window between the gallery and office. Next to the window is a framed tiled mosaic. The image in the frame is of children at a residential school.

Photos by Karen Asher | 2022

This exhibition was originally selected for the 2020-2021 programming year, but postponed due to the closure of the gallery during the pandemic. The jury which selected these exhibitions included: Mariana Muñoz Gomez, Hassaan Ashraf, Annie Beach, Liam Zarillo, and Tani Miki.