A DECADE OF COMMEMORATION
See Me Art Exhibit
See Me Art Exhibit
We appreciate the overwhelming support and attendance we received during the 10th anniversary commemoration of the See Me exhibit, held in honour of the National Day of Action for MMIWG. Taking place on October 4, 2023, the event allowed us to reflect deeply on the challenges faced by Indigenous women and girls over the past decade and to visualize a safer community.
Supporting women and children at risk of violence, abuse, sexual exploitation and homelessness.
As we unite to honour the memories and advocate for a safer future, we are hosting a fundraising initiative to enhance programs and services aimed at aiding Indigenous women at risk of abuse and homelessness through Atlohsa Family Healing Services. A portion of the proceeds will also be dedicated to the Search the Landfill campaign led by Camp Morgan to support the recovery efforts of lost loved ones believed to be located at Brady Road Landfill in Winnipeg.
Your generous contribution can significantly impact these meaningful initiatives, propelling our shared vision forward. As we gather to reflect and engage in vital dialogues, your financial support will further empower our endeavors to create lasting change.
See Me was conceptualized in 2013 and presented in 2015 to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) across Canada. We presented an art installation featuring over 2,000 Gold Birds. These birds symbolize the thousands of MMIWG. The original exhibit was a collaboration between:
- Mandi Fields, Producer
- Sean Couchie, Ojibwe Artist
- Tamara Bernard, Indigenous Educator, Advocate and Research Consultant
- Atlohsa Family Healing Services
- Indigenous Services at Western University
- Tania DeJonge, Creative Designer
Along with the 2,000 Gold Birds, we created panels that list the names of MMIWG. We focused solely on Ontario, as part of our goal was to consciously awaken our community to the reality that this issue persists here, and not just on the West Coast and Northern parts of Canada.
We shared the stories we knew about the women, along with the photos provided by Atlohsa. The photos were contributed by community members and depict their aunties, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, lovers, sisters, and friends.
Featured Artist
Sean Michael Couchie is a self-taught artist who has had an interest in art since early childhood and later formalized his craft with a degree in Advertising Art from Fanshawe College in 1991. Sean is a member of the Nipissing Band of Ojibways. He considers winning the Peace Hills Trust Native Arts Contests in 1992, 1996 and again in 2002 as major contributors to his success as a First Nations artist. In 2007, the Bravo and APTN networks aired a documentary entitled “From the Spirit” featuring the life and works of Sean Couchie.
In 2015, Sean was a key contributor in a collective effort to raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). It was then that the See Me art exhibit was permanently installed at Atlohsa Family Healing Services. Sean’s Broken Circle, features gold birds, each representing and honouring the missing and murdered women and girls across Turtle Island.
Sean is an artist and illustrator who enjoys a diversity of different media, working in oils, acrylics, graphite, airbrush, pen and ink, scratchboard, and woodburning for his work. He makes his home in London, Ontario with his wife and two daughters.
2018 See Me Exhibit - 'Broken Circle' Unveiled
In this video, artist Sean Couchie elucidates the symbolism of 'Broken Circle' during the 2018 See Me exhibit, shedding light on its inspirational role for the entire project.