From Edmonton Arts Council: This installation is inspired by the idea of “pehonan” (Cree – gathering or waiting place) and the oral traditions of Indigenous people as well as the many stories told of this area. It offers a space for teaching, storytelling, or performance.
Conceptually, it references the oral roots of this place, and the ways in which stories change depending on proximity to the source. “The furthest back seat (at the top) references the deep past. It’s farthest from our reach when you are at the base, but when you are sitting at the top you have the greatest field of vision with perhaps the greatest perspective. When you sit on the lowest seat you are closest to the future, but not able to see to far into the distance.”
Artist Bio: Tiffany Shaw-Collinge was born in Calgary, Alberta and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She received a Diploma in Fine Arts from Grant MacEwan University in 2004, and a BFA from NSCAD University in 2006, with an interdisciplinary degree in film, painting, video, and sound. In 2009 Shaw-Collinge graduated with distinction from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles, CA with a Masters in Architecture and was awarded the Alpha Rho Chi Medal for leadership, service and merit. As SCI-Arc celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2013, Shaw-Collinge was named one of the top students in 2012 by the institution.
She is deeply embedded within the Edmonton arts and architectural community. She has worked on Phase I development design for the Quarters, has worked with Yellowhead College, and is working with Boyle Street Community Services to create an “unapologetically Aboriginal” building to serve as a community hub that is a part of, not apart from, the downtown core.