In response to the Art Gallery of Guelph’s Fall 2023 exhibition Carl Beam: Pieces of a Puzzle, AGG welcomes artist Anong Beam, Carl Beam’s daughter, in conversation with curator Rhéanne Chartrand, who has long been engaged with Beam’s oeuvre. Considering the stories and legacies of the Manitoulin Island-based M’Chigeeng artist, their dialogue will centre on The Columbus Suite, a compelling series of prints featured in the exhibition created by Beam in response to the discourses surrounding the quincentenary of European arrival on Turtle Island.

Probing the nuances with which the artist investigated and challenged narratives of world history, politics, science, ecology, materiality, and Indigeneity, the speakers will delve into Beam’s profound influence and its resonance on both personal and community levels. The contributions of the prolific artist continue to leave an indelible mark in the realms of both contemporary visual arts and Indigenous cultural resilience and representation.

Carl Beam: Pieces of a Puzzle was curated by Sally Frater and presented by the Art Gallery of Guelph with the support of the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.

Image detail: Carl Beam, Lincoln and Ravens, 1990, photo-etching. Gift of Marion Oxley, 2006. Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Collection