Article content The City of Regina has selected emerging artist Bee Bird as its next Indigenous artist in residence, with the debut of his first project in the role to come next week. Bird is a local multimedia artist from Montreal Lake Cree Nation, located 100 kilometres north of Prince Albert. He’s currently a journalism and film student in the Indigenous Communication Arts program at the Regina-based First Nations University of Canada, and the creative mind behind Bee Productions.
“I am a professional storyteller, and it is part of my culture,” Bird says. “My work is a reflection of my journey and my cultural tradition. Stories are passed down from generation to generation and, for our culture, that is the most important part of us.
” Bird will be the third artist to take part in the city’s program, which began in 2022 . Created to provide Indigenous artists with a platform to explore their art, the residency runs from July to December. Part of its mandate includes offering outreach programs such as artist talks or workshops, and producing artwork that will be added to Regina’s civic collection for future enjoyment.
As a multimedia digital artist, Bird is enthused to bring new mediums to the role. He has plans to utilize animation, videography, and even a podcast during his time in residency to connect audiences to his art and that of fellow Indigenous artists from Saskatchewan. A series of videos with Indigenous poets sharing their work will be a centrepiece,.