Peoples of the Longhouse

Brad Henry is a traditional Tlingit artist. His paintings strive to bring positive energy into the world and pass on the legends and beliefs of his Tlingit and Vun tut Gwitch'in ancestors.

Christina Moore comes from Huron-Wendat ancestry. She believes that the arts provide avenues to understand ourselves, make meaning of the world, and create empathy for others different from ourselves.

These two artists have done various shows together, and both have had work featured at Sweet Grass Aboriginal Bistro, Cambridge Design Gallery and the Branch restaurant. They are now working together in direct collaboration; making art that either of them could not have made alone. For the artists, collaborating means that they each give up control of their art. It means having faith in each other, and in the unknown. This can be a fearful thing, but letting go of that fear is incredibly liberating and empowering. Both artists are now hooked on collaboration.

Although they come from very different geographic regions, they learn from each other, work together, embrace their differences and celebrate their similarities. Both artists have ancestors who were people of the longhouse. Together they strive to find a middle ground between traditional ways and the modern world.

"To live in harmony, we all must work together to gain an understanding and appreciation of the valuable contributions of each culture. One source for such understanding is the arts."