Starting last July, Tracey-Mae Chambers has been using art to send messages of hope and healing across Canada. She made a stop in Cambridge Friday, to create an installation at McDougall Cottage.
After hours of threading red yarn into eloquent shapes and patterns, Chambers created a unique art installation in front of the historic site for all to see.
Marking 80 installations since the start of her journey last July, Chambers is delivering a message across Canada of hope and healing.
“We want to start a conversation with people who don’t want to talk about it, especially when the residential schools are right in their own backyard,” she said.
Chambers has created five installations for the region and Cambridge in total, starting in the Waterloo Park, another at the Schneider Haus, one at the Idea Exchange and tomorrow she starts a new one at Doon Heritage Village.
Historic places like the McDougall Cottage represent a form of colonization, since they tend to not showcase who lived on the land prior, mentioned Chambers.
“It speaks to the curators and directors in this area are on board with changing the narrative.”
Michelle Bartlett, head of content and experience for the McDougall Cottage was happy to host Chamber’s art installation as part of her Canada series.
“We're committed to Truth and Reconciliation. We really like the message of Tracey’s work,” Bartlett said.
This marks the first indigenous art installation at the Cambridge museum.
They plan to leave it up until around November for the community to see and learn from.
“The main thing is about starting a conversation because once this conversation is started it leads to great things,” Bartlett added.
“You can look right out front of the cottage and see it.”
Chambers plans to travel across Canada and onto the US in 2024 to create specific art installation, not only for museums but also art galleries, cultural centres, historic sites, residential schools and other public spaces.
“Just the fact an Indigenous artist is here, doing this, is an act of decolonization,” said Chambers.
“Every single one of those, doesn’t matter who it’s for, what part of Canada its in, its exactly the same message.”
The fibres that Chambers uses are very durable and can withstand certain weather.
“I think it’s amazing, I really like it,” Bartlett exclaimed.
Coinciding with the new art installation, the McDougall Cottage currently has an exhibit right now that runs until December 2023 titled: Resiliency Shared Stories of Strength and Survival.
Chambers heads to Quebec City next week to install more messages of hope and healing across Canada.
