Ruth Cuthand facts for kids

Ruth Cuthand (born 1954) is a talented Canadian artist. She has both Plains Cree and Scottish family roots. Ruth is known for her powerful art that explores important topics. Her work often looks at how people from different backgrounds relate to each other. She also uses her art to talk about issues like unfair treatment and the history of colonialism.

Early Life and Education

Ruth Cuthand was born in 1954 on Treaty 6 Land. This area is close to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. She is a member of the Little Pine First Nation. Ruth spent much of her childhood in Cardston, Alberta. This town is near the Blood Reserve.

When she was eight years old, Ruth met artist Gerald Tailfeathers. This meeting inspired her to become an artist herself. She later studied art at the University of Saskatchewan. She earned her first degree in 1983. She then got a master's degree from the same university in 1992. Between these degrees, she also studied at the University of Montana. Ruth first focused on printmaking. Later, she began to create paintings. She also taught art at the First Nations University of Canada and the University of Regina.

Art Career and Major Works

Early Exhibitions

In 1990, Ruth Cuthand had her first solo art show. It was called S. Ruth Cuthand: The Trace of Ghost Dance. This show took place at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina. She displayed painted shirts and dresses. These artworks were inspired by the ghost dance religion. This was a movement among Plains First Nations groups in the 1800s. Ruth used her art to show peaceful ways to resist control by others.

Traveling Art Shows

A big exhibition of her work traveled across Canada. It was called BACK TALK (works 1983–2009). This show was seen in many cities. It visited the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon in 2011. It also went to the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown in 2012. Other stops included Halifax and Winnipeg in 2014. A special book was made for this exhibition. It was written in both Cree and English. This book was even nominated for an award. In 2016, she was part of a group show. It was held at Wanuskewin Heritage Park.

The Trading Series

Since 2006, Ruth Cuthand has been creating pieces for her Trading series. This series explores how diseases and colonialism have affected people. She uses colorful beads to show tiny images of bacteria and viruses. These include germs like influenza, measles, and smallpox. Her art shows how these diseases spread when Europeans arrived.

Ruth expanded on her Trading series ideas. She started to focus on unsafe water conditions. Many First Nations communities still face this problem. Her 2015 exhibition, Don't Drink, Don't Breathe, showed this. She displayed beaded germs found in water. These were placed in glasses filled with clear resin. It looked like glasses of water with germs floating inside. This powerful art highlights important issues in Canada. Some of these artworks are now part of the Art Gallery of Ontario collection. In 2019, her beaded art was shown at the National Gallery of Canada. It was part of a large international exhibition of Indigenous art.

Reserving and Surviving Series

After the Trading series, Ruth explored similar ideas. She created two more collections: Reserving and Surviving. In 2020, she added new pieces to the Surviving collection. These included Surviving COVID-19 artworks. Some of these pieces feature beads on a white face mask. The beads represent the tiny COVID-19 virus. These works continue to show how diseases impact Indigenous communities.

Ruth Cuthand currently lives and works in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Important Themes in Her Art

Ruth Cuthand's art often explores deep and thought-provoking themes. She looks at topics like colonialism and unfair stereotypes. She also addresses the lasting effects of residential schools. These schools caused much pain for Indigenous families. Her art also highlights unfair systems that affect people.

For example, her Trading series uses beadwork. It shows the viruses that European traders brought to First Nation communities. Ruth is not afraid to talk about difficult subjects. She once said that she uses humor to challenge stereotypes. She wants people to think differently about these issues.

In her 2021 exhibition, "Beads in the blood," Ruth focused on mental health. She used special glow-in-the-dark beads. These beads looked like brain scans. They represented different mental health conditions, including PTSD. This condition is often linked to the lasting trauma experienced by Indigenous communities.

Awards and Recognition

Ruth Cuthand has received many important awards. In 2013, she won the Saskatchewan Artist Award. This was part of the Lieutenant Governor's Arts Awards. In 2016, she was honored by the University of Saskatchewan. She was named an Arts & Science Alumni of Influence. In 2020, she received a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. This is a very high honor for artists in Canada. In 2021, she was given an honorary doctorate from OCAD.

Exhibitions and Collections

Ruth Cuthand's art has been shown in many galleries. She has had both solo and group exhibitions. Some of these include the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon. Her work has also been displayed at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa has also featured her art.

Her artworks are part of important collections. These include the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina. Her art is also at the Mendel Art Gallery and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. The Indigenous Art Centre in Ottawa also holds her work. The National Gallery of Canada has some of her pieces too. Ruth has also helped organize art shows for other galleries. She has also served on art juries for organizations like the Canada Council.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

• 1990 – Traces of the Ghost Dance, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan
• 1992 – Misuse is Abuse II, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• 2011 – BACK TALK: Ruth Cuthand (works 1983–2009), Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• 2014 – BACK TALK: Ruth Cuthand (works 1983–2009), Plug In ICA, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 2015 – Don't Drink, Don't Breathe, Mann Art Gallery, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
• 2016 – Cardston, Alberta, 1959–1967, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• 2019 – Artist in Focus, Remai Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
• 2021 – Beads in the blood: Ruth Cuthand, a Survey, University of Saskatchewan, College Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.