Xpressions Arts & Design Program
About the Program
Xpressions Arts & Design program is established in the heartland of Treaty Six within the traditional territories of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Cold Lake First Nation, Frog Lake First Nation, Heart Lake First Nation, Kehewin Cree Nation and Whitefish Lake First Nation.
Xpressions formed from the development of a community-based employment-training initiative in the Arts sector. Participants of this program are members of the Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training Services Association (TCETSA) First Nations, who pursued the program because of their desire to build skills and increase their knowledge of authentic Indigenous arts and crafts.
The products are authentic and handcrafted by Indigenous artists. The one-of-a-kind pieces vary from jewelry, beadwork, quilled works, birch bark arts, fine arts, earrings, necklaces, medallions, bracelets and moccasins.
Xpressions Arts & Design Program
The program provides participants professional instruction, tools, materials and learning resources, including relevant information that connects them with artistic and traditional cultural practices, and teaches them how to transfer those teachings into economic opportunities. The program provides the trainees with a range of resources, technical skills and business supports that will enable them to become proficient as working artists and designers.
The prominent X reflected within the tipi represents unity and the unique relationship between Indigenous people and settlers within the Treaty Six Territory. The eagle feather represents the vision and the spiritual inspirations of the artists. The logo represents the unity of the communities, and their preservation of cultural languages, stories and art forms.
2017 People's Choice Award Winner
February 13-14, 2017
Xpressions set up at the Growing Rural Tourism Conference “Ignite the Change” tradeshow. The artist’s works were displayed in professional packaging with Xpressions branding. A few artists’ bios and business cards were displayed. The attending artists were able to talk to the delegates from the conference about the Xpressions program and their art.
During the tradeshow, participants of the conference were voting on the many exhibits at the show and in the end our Xpressions team was chosen from People’s Choice Award! We were invited back for the awards ceremony and accepted the award. The artists in attendance were very excited and inspired by this achievement.