Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre, Miyo Wâhkôhtowin
SITE #: Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre
10124 96 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5H 2G5
Arsene Joseph Alexander Arcand
Miyo Wâhkôhtowin
EXHIBIT DATES: June 17 - July 11, 2026
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 12pm - 5pm
Thursday: 2pm - 5pm
Friday: 12pm - 5pm
Saturday: 12pm - 5pm
Sunday: Closed
Keiran Jardine, City of Edmonton.
The Indigenous Artist in Residence program is a partnership between the City of Edmonton's Indigenous Relations Office and the Edmonton Arts Council. This program supports Indigenous artists by providing time, space, resources and opportunities to develop their artistic practice while sharing their work with the community. For the first time, the final showcase featuring the works of Edmonton's Indigenous Artist in Residence will be exhibited at Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre.
The theme of Arsene's new body of work for this year's residency is centred around teachings of the moss bag. The pieces are visual interpretations of a moss bag, what we use to swaddle a baby in Indigenous traditional parenting. The stone motifs of a moss bag is a reminder to return to opikinasowin, meaning traditional parenting in nehiyawewin, the Cree language.
https://www.ociciwan.ca/miyo-wahkohtowin
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ARTIST TALK
June 18 - Time TBA
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Arsene Joseph Alexander Arcand is a nêhiyaw (Cree) Indigenous Artist from Kipohtakaw (Alexander First Nation #134) in Treaty no. 6 Territory. In June 2025, Arsene was announced as Edmonton's fourth Indigenous Artist in Residence. Arsene utilizes his background of traditional and cultural experiences to draw inspiration into his art form and style. He was introduced to soapstone carving from his uncle, artist Leo W Arcand, and has utilized many different forms of art since his childhood, including painting and sketching.
Arsene was raised with the nêhiyaw (Cree) way of life by his late grandfather, spiritual leader and hereditary chief of Alexander First Nation, Arsene Joseph Arcand Sr. Since then, Arsene has had multiple carvings commissioned from organizations and various other projects for personal collections. Arsene continues to express the story of each stone as it comes to be told and shared with others around Turtle Island.