DAWSON CREEK – A recently opened Aboriginal Gathering Space on the Dawson Creek campus of Northern Lights College was the beneficiary of several pieces of art, including a spirit shield, donated by local Aboriginal artist Marvin Johnson.
NLC president Laurie Rancourt presented the Certificate of Appreciation noting the beauty and cultural significance of the artwork.
Johnson is a self-taught artist originally from the Fisher Cree Nation in Manitoba. He first began painting after an Elder suggested the creative process as a way to embark on a healing journey. His work is an acrylic and oil mixture on canvas, leather, and wood incorporating an Aboriginal approach to the representation of mind, body and spirit, bridged with nature and the physical world.
(Left) NLC Aboriginal coordinator Theresa Gladue, artist Marvin Johnson, and NLC president Laurie Rancourt, celebrate the artist’s donation to the College’s Dawson Creek campus Aboriginal Gathering Space.