From Jasper鈥檚 M茅tis homestead heritage to the world wide web, the thread binding the latest art installation in town could not have been spun from a more random spool.
British Columbia artist Kristi Bridgeman and artisan Lisa Shepherd were perfect strangers until homesteader Suzette (Chalifoux) Swift was revealed as a common connection.
Bridgeman, who paints watercolours and Shepherd, a beadworker, were each under the impression they were Swift鈥檚 sole living descendant. The illusion was shattered when Bridgeman posted a painting based on her great-grandmother Suzette鈥檚 work and Shepherd recognized the style.
If channeling a homesteader sounds like a bit of a reach even for a coastal artist, then consider the fact that Bridgeman was raised by her grandmother, who in turn spent some time under Swift鈥檚 care as a child.
鈥淢y grandmother would describe the wildflowers at the Palisades (the site of the Swift homestead), so what I painted is the memory of those descriptions,鈥� Bridgeman said. 鈥淓ach piece is based on a plant or a story that is related to us. We鈥檙e combining our stories, our memories of her.鈥�
Shepherd said it was a 鈥渂old move鈥� for her to reach out to a stranger online but something about Bridgeman鈥檚 work grabbed her attention. That was no small feat for a woman who admits she is 鈥渘ew鈥� to her M茅tis heritage; Shepherd by comparison describes herself as a M茅tis artisan.
鈥淚t was super-cool to get to know her and find the parallels,鈥� Shepherd said. 鈥淔rom Kristi I heard a lot of family stories I was familiar with.鈥�
They travelled across the wilds of the province to visit each other and stayed connected the rest of the time on the phone or online while they capitalized on the juggernaut of creative potential between the two of them.
The process itself harkened back to the homestead days, with two women over a table planning their conquest of the world, according to Bridgeman.
The final product, the Forget Me Not, M茅tis Rose exhibition will be on display at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives from April 12 to May 22. A reception is planned for April 13 at 7 p.m.
鈥淏y no means do either of us think this is finished,鈥� Shepherd said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like watching a tree grow from down below, our story reaches out and connects to the roots of others. Jasper is a fascinating place.鈥�
Craig Gilbert | [email protected]
