Woodland Cultural Centre Celebrates 50 Years of Indigenous Art with Landmark Exhibition and Opening Event

Brantford, ON, June 13, 2025 – The Woodland Cultural Centre is proud to announce the opening of Indigenous Art 2025: 50th Annual Juried Exhibition, a landmark milestone celebrating five decades of Indigenous artistic excellence. The Centre invites the public and media to a special Director’s Preview and Opening Reception on Friday, June 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM, marking a historic moment in the legacy of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada.

First launched in 1975, Indigenous Art is the longest-running annual multimedia Indigenous art exhibition in the country, evolving from a time when Indigenous artists were excluded from mainstream gallery spaces. Now in its 50th iteration, the exhibition continues to honour and uplift the powerful voices and practices of Indigenous artists across Turtle Island.

This year’s exhibition is curated by Alex Jacobs-Blum, a Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga) and German visual artist and curator whose work engages with Indigenous futurities and ancestral knowledge. A former exhibitor herself, Jacobs-Blum brings fresh vision and lived experience to this commemorative show, adjudicated in partnership with a selected panel of jurors.

The exhibition features selected works by emerging, mid-career, and established artists of Indigenous ancestry, spanning diverse media, themes, and perspectives.

The evening program on June 20th includes:

• 5:30 PM – Director’s Preview Tour with Guest Curator Alex Jacobs-Blum and WCC Artistic Director Jake Jamieson
• 6:30 PM – Catering by celebrated chef Tawnya Brant
• 6:30 PM – Opening Remarks & Awards Presentation
  • Patricia Deadman Emerging Artist Award
  • Thomas V. Hill Legacy Award
• 7:00 PM – Performance by the Six Nations Women’s Singers
• 7:20 PM – Galleries Open
• 8:30 PM – Closing Address

This year’s exhibition is presented in proud partnership with The Brown Homestead and Ontario Arts Council. In addition, a feature of this year’s exhibition titled, Tending to the Seeds honours the former Museum Director and Arts Curator, the late Thomas V. Hill, and former Senior Curator, the late Patricia Deadman, as pivotal figures in the Indigenous arts community. Their leadership helped shape the legacy of this exhibition and advance Indigenous inclusion and recognition within Canadian art institutions.

Event Details:
Indigenous Art 2025: 50th Annual Juried Exhibition
Opening Reception: Friday, June 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Woodland Cultural Centre, 184 Mohawk Street, Brantford, ON N3S 2X2
Tickets: Free; Suggested donation of $10 to support Woodland’s arts programming.

This historic event offers a moment to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to the future of Indigenous art in Canada. Members of the press are invited to attend and cover this milestone celebration.

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Media Contact
Trisha Kelley, Development and Marketing Manager
Woodland Cultural Centre
Tel: (519) 759-2650, ext. 232 e-mail: marketing@woodlandculturalcentre.ca
woodlandculturalcentre.ca