Self-taught artist from northern Manitoba unveils new mural in Winnipeg’s North End
“He shines brighter than any star you see at night, we call him the Art Star,” is the introduction Steve Wilson, the executive director of Graffiti Art Programming, gave to artist Jedrick Thorassie in front of a room full of people.
Thorassie and Wilson unveiled their newest collaboration Monday in Winnipeg’s North End — an outdoor mural on the north-facing side of a youth-serving organization on Burrows avenue. The organization is Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad or Ndinawe, and translates from Anishinaabemowin to our relatives home.
“I just hope I can show people that you can have a really rough life and there’s people there that will help you pick yourself up and sort of change your life for the better,” Thorassie said.
Thorassie is a self-taught artist from the northern Manitoban community of Tadoule Lake, 250 kilometres west of Churchill, and a member of the Sayisi Dene First Nation. He was given full creative freedom for the project, and was supported by Wilson as well as the board of directors from Graffiti Art Programming.
The finished piece is intended to bring awareness to Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #66 — a call to the federal government to establish multi-year funding for community-based youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation.
While sharing his art, Thorassie said his journey to this point has been “pretty tough” and he uses those experiences as a way to influence what he creates.
“The people I know and the people I associate with, they all come from the streets … like the North End of Winnipeg, the struggle, so I try to show all that in my art.”
The unveiling was made extra special for the staff and youth at Ndinawe, as they were gifted the artwork through a partnership with Graffiti Art Programming and funding from the Winnipeg Foundation.
“We took a kinship approach to collaboration,” said Shanlee Scott, the executive director of Ndinawe. The organization has been serving children and youth in the community for over thirty years.
Scott says that for her, the mural is a “heartfelt representation of the realities and the possibilities.” She acknowledged that for Indigenous peoples, despite there being “a lot of pain …there’s a lot of hope as well.”
The large mural is split into two pieces with contrasting images.
One side of the mural depicts a bright glowing sun, a blue sky with birds flying high, surrounded by green grass dotted in flowers and a forest with two tipis adorned in red hand prints to acknowledge MMIWG2S+. In the bottom corner stands a woman and child holding hands while their hands reach out to the other side of the art piece.
The opposing side of the mural depicts a different reality with glimmers of sunshine, small bits of grass and a blue sky filled with dark clouds and rain. The skyline of the city of Winnipeg can be seen in the distance, and looks similar to the downtown views from the North End.
Scott says the importance of the mural is that it tells the story of now — a time of crisis where their organization is experiencing record numbers of unhoused youth — and why now more than ever are the community needs so extensive.
“Knowing the story of Jedrick, the story of a young Indigenous boy from a remote community now coming to Winnipeg and having his mural displayed publicly, it means that there is the possibility for other young people to have the same experience,” said Scott.
Thorassie’s advice to other young artists is to just “believe in yourself, dream really big, and keep pursuing it no matter what.” Thorassie’s daughter, Leah Powderhorn, was also his co-artist for the mural.
Inspiration from the mural actually came from his daughter. After going through a divorce, father and daughter became very close and art is the way that they connect with each other. For this project, she provided input and helped to paint the mural.
When asked about the importance of murals as art, Wilson said “it’s not all about the paintings that you can create in your studio … it’s about getting out of your studio and being accessible.”
He said that many community members, and young people have connections and a real love for Ndinawe. Wilson says that “groups like Ndinawe can always use more support to do the work that they do so that young people aren’t falling through the cracks.”
Wilson is also excited for Thorassie, and what the mural could mean for him.
“Winnipeg really loves what this young man does, and this is just the beginning for him.”