A new art gallery opened in High River and it is Indigenous owned. Photo by Stephen Strand
The Town of High River has a new Indigenous owned art gallery.
Sunrise Moon Art Gallery is owned by Virginia Aldoff-Pinay, who says it was in the works for years.
Aldoff-Pinay says that one day she was driving her grandson, Ethan Carpenter, to his birthday lunch and drove by a place that was for rent.
So, she called them and realized it was a friend of hers.
Aldoff-Pinay and her grandson Ethan began working get the building setup. After a while, Aldoff-Pinay asked Ethan to keep working with her at the art gallery, which led to Carpenter to being the manager of the art gallery.
High River has a new Indigenous owned art gallery. Photo by Stephen Strand
Aldoff-Pinay says that numerous people came to help her get the building ready.
After finishing getting the building setup for how Aldoff-Pinay wanted the gallery to be, Sunrise Moon Art Gallery opened on September 15.
As part of the art gallery, there is an educational hall that has Indigenous artifacts, a library filled with Indigenous authors, and Kookum’s Tea Room.
Kookum’s Tea Room is a space where people can go sit and chat.
Aldoff-Pinay explains what the artifacts they have are.
The artifacts, Aldoff-Pinay says, is to help people learn more about Indigenous life and history.
Aldoff-Pinay adds that she wants people to know that her place is where people can learn.
While only a couple pieces in the educational hallway are for sale, everything else in the gallery is for sale, including some artifacts that are hanging on the walls in the art gallery.
On top of owning the Sunrise Moon Art Gallery, Aldoff-Pinay is also an artist.
She does drawings, beadwork, leather work, and more.
Aldoff-Pinay wanted to have an art gallery, so she can showcase Indigenous culture.
While Sunrise Moon Art Gallery is Indigenous owned, any artist is able have their art on display at the gallery.
Eventually, they will get their basement setup for a teaching area, where Aldoff-Pinay and Carpenter will be teaching art and more.
For anyone who wishes to have their artwork at the Sunrise Moon Art Gallery, check out their Instagram page.
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