FNUniv unveils new art gallery name
- Jeanelle Mandes | November 28, 2014
The First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) finally renamed their art gallery to the Plain Red Art Gallery (PRAG) after four years of searching for a suitable name at Regina’s campus.
Judy Anderson, an Associate Professor of Indian Fine Arts, unveiled the cloth with the name and logo showing and explains how the gallery committee came up with the idea.
“At the beginning, we were getting our committee together we couldn’t come up with a name,” says Anderson. “We had lists of names and we really wanted to use ‘red’. It was all about all of us being comfortable with whatever the word was going to be,” she adds.
Anderson further explains the use of the word “red” represents the color as one of the sacred directions of the medicine wheel. The logo consists of a headdress with various shades of red which is to represent the diversity and tradition at FNUniv.
“The use of the word ‘plain’ geographically situates the gallery’s location on the plains,” says Anderson. “The use of the word ‘red’ is also layered, it acknowledges our colonial history where the term has been as a derogatory one. But we’re reclaim it and use it as power,” she adds.
Anderson said the committee discussed the word ‘red’ and was thought of being somewhat racist but they all agreed to reclaim it and take it back as they believes there’s power in that little word.
The gallery committee consisted of seven members including FNUniv Indian Fine Art Associate Professor, Lionel Peyachew. He says they thought of various names that corresponds to the different uses of the gallery.
“The Plain Red Gallery is going to be synonymous to have a name out there for our local and international artists. Although the name had just started to be visualized today but in time it will go out throughout Saskatchewan and Canada as one of the influential galleries [to attract] visitors from all over Canada,” says Peyachew.
The gallery committee said the elders liked the name title and adds that it is very important that they have the support of the elders.
“I’m looking forward to people’s and how they feel about it. At first, people were not really happy with the name but now that they seen it on a wall and hearing the concept of the design, people are much more happy with it,” adds Peyachew.
PRAG aims to represent Indigenous artists, including students, from local to international areas. The gallery committee hopes the new name will attract more interests and visitors to PRAG.