A new Indigenous mural is taking form along the south interior wall inside the Cochrane Lions Event Centre.
Calgary-based artist Flora Johnson is producing the piece.
Cochrane Lions Club and Event Centre explained that an unused stretch of wall prompted the search for a suitable feature. Discussions about an art installation led the group to explore possibilities involving Indigenous creators and available grants.
Johnson belongs to the Mosakahiken Nation in Manitoba. A Sixties Scoop survivor, she was raised in Minnesota after being removed from her family and community.
Art has been central to her life. She works across acrylics, oils, hand-painted drums, and leather.
Some of her projects in Calgary include a 2019 mural for the John Howard Society, a 2022 exhibit at Southcentre Mall, and a 2021 muralist-in-residence position with the Women’s Centre of Calgary.
More recently she was among 14 artists selected for Calgary Arts Development’s Utility Box Public Art Program.
Her style frequently draws on Indigenous identity, featuring vivid colours, animals, and warrior women.
For this mural she studied the local area and its past to shape the concept. The work is executed in acrylic on plywood panels; volunteers assist with background elements while Johnson directs the overall design and completes the final details.
Johnsons piece will be revealed at the Cochrane Business Excellence Awards on October 16.
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