In response to Truth and Reconciliation, art starts the grass-roots movement
To begin, The Ontarion would like to acknowledge the Attawandaron people on whose traditional territory the University of Guelph resides and offer our respect to traditional communities.
Don Russell, while not a Guelph-born local, has certainly lain deep foundations in Guelph’s cultural landscape. Commissioned by the Art Gallery of Guelph curator Dawn Owen, Russell’s sculpture, Circle Mound, is meant to be a “subtle intervention” in the landscape; the piece functions as a meeting place.
Russell’s understanding of Guelph values should come as no surprise, as he attended the University of Guelph for his undergrad. “I was in the Fine Arts program,” Russell said. “At that time, there was no Aboriginal Resource Centre, but I had a pleasant time here. Guelph is a beautiful school.”
The environment of Guelph, as well as the community, have had a tremendous impact upon Russell’s art. The geography, “the spaces here—the river systems here—have been wonderful for walking or biking.” He continued, “It’s a bit of a community, it’s a wonderful supportive community.” Russell never felt like he was working in a bubble. “You could share your ideas with people, you could learn about their ideas. There’s a lot of creativity here. It’s a creative place,” he concluded.
Russell has been sure to return the sense of inclusivity back into the community.
“I think, intrinsically, art has a healing effect. It calms the soul. This is an expression of a worldview; of how Aboriginal people see the world and that is worthwhile.”
Focusing mostly on fostering artistic development in Aboriginal communities, Russell was part of a mural project for Anishnabeg Outreach in 1998.
“We produced a mural. We did it with encaustic [style]. It was youth aged 18 to 26,” Russell explained, remaining humble. “They came up with a design, they executed it. I was just the technical hand.” The mural has since travelled to 16 different First Nation communities in Ontario.
Reflecting back to the Ontario Reformatory, he mentioned his work with The Native Sons. “I was part of a group that was bringing literacy to inmates and we chose to focus on Aboriginal people—The Native Sons.”
Art, they decided, was “just as much part of literacy as reading and writing,” Russell explained. “We made some wonderful paintings there.”
Russell’s newest installation in the Donald Forster Sculpture Park is associated with the Mush Hole Project, which Russell explained “sprang from the Truth and Reconciliation Recommendations.” The project aims to deal with “education, both of native and non-native communities. As well as addressing the legacy of the Residential schools.”
“It’s a circle. We’re all on the same level. We’re all looking at each other. The circle is very symbolic of a lot of things in Aboriginal culture, but it’s the one thing that you see everywhere. It opens up communication, it’s completely open. I hope that people use it and that they own it.”
Russell connected the University of Guelph’s own campus to the legacy of the residential schools. The Art Gallery of Guelph was built in the same year and with the same design as the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, which was once the Mohawk Institute Residential School. In contrast, the Macdonald Consolidated School (the present day Art Gallery) was built to be a model institution for nonnative students. The connection between the two buildings was discovered accidentally, “It’s just one of those coincidences that seem to resonate with historical meaning.”
Circle Mound is intended to be a gathering space. Highlighting the importance of such a space, Russell said, “In Guelph there’s been no formal recognition or acknowledgement of Aboriginal history in this area.” He continued, “Part of what the AGG wanted was some way to bridge that gap. So I was commissioned to create a gathering space.”
More than that, to Russell, the piece resembles the geography of Guelph itself: “We have a mound and then a secondary burm which symbolises the two rivers.”
Russell’s greatest hope is that the people of Guelph will use the space.
“It’s a place where people can sit—it’s a nice comforting spot. In the centre we have red clay to connect us to the land, and in the centre, anything can happen; music, dance, or someone spending a quiet afternoon.”
Structurally, the shape of Circle Mound is crucial: “It’s a circle. We’re all on the same level. We’re all looking at each other. The circle is very symbolic of a lot of things in Aboriginal culture, but it’s the one thing that you see everywhere. It opens up communication, it’s completely open. I hope that people use it and that they own it.”
“It’s very simple but I think in the simplicity there is power.”
Part of the piece’s appeal, Russell acknowledged, is its function, “It’s very simple but I think in the simplicity there is power.”
A final function is the installation’s inherent ability to support dialogue: “I think, intrinsically, art has a healing effect. It calms the soul. This is an expression of a worldview; of how Aboriginal people see the world and that is worthwhile.”
This piece in particular serves as an educational tool: “The circle, the red clay, are fundamental to expressing our worldview. I think the healing comes from the learning,” Russell explained. “There is a long way to go but we are having these conversations more and more. I think that’s where healing will come from for both sides.”
Finally, Russell had some advice for students and artists alike: “Do what you want to do. Follow your own expression. I firmly believe we need to find our own way to express ourselves, it takes a long time, and it’s painful. Keep doing it—whatever it is you do—keep doing it.”
Photo by Mariah Bridgeman/The Ontarion.