With the recent departure of the Farmers & Makers Market, cSPACE’s Art Park has been quiet. Which is why we are delighted to welcome Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market to our south lawn space this week. We are excited to activate this community area once more, and to give space to a local organization that is taking Calgary by storm. 

From their website:

Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market seeks to create community platforms for Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs to showcase their talents. 

We are passionate about creating a connection between the artist and the greater urban communities through promotion and support at our markets & artist showcases.

At June 27th’s Report to Community, cSPACE President and CEO Deeter Schurig shared the following message regarding our recent name change from cSPACE King Edward, to cSPACE Marda Loop.

June 21st marked the summer solstice and we celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day. We chose this time to formally share that our creative hub here will now be called cSPACE Marda Loop – A place for Creative Boundary Crossings. 

This change recognizes a small shift in focusing on a building to acknowledging the larger locale that cSPACE now serves.  

As part of this process, we are grateful for our collaboration with an Indigenous leader, Dr. Leroy Littlebear from Treaty 6, whose words are also engraved in our Poet’s Walk (realized in partnership with Rockwood Custom Homes).

It was his recommendation that cSPACE should be recognized as, “A Place for Boundary Crossings,” as a reminder that reconciliation will need to cross many divides and boundaries – just as our community endeavours in their artistic practices. 

Recognizing our commitment to stewarding this historic place – and the potential of creativity and collaboration to be a force for community-led change – we are pleased to take guidance from his words. 

As he relayed in a lecture, “If our contemporary world and governments adopted the mindset of artists, we may come up with new creative solutions to age-old problems such as inequality.” 

Along with this mural entitled “We are all Treaty People,” we believe we are enriching our colonial past with a more inclusive narrative – and through artful intent, we will incrementally expand to serve the community more equitably. 

In this spirit we welcome Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market to the cSPACE Marda Loop Art Park, kicking off Calgary’s Stampede Week.

From Thursday July 6th to Saturday July 8th, 11am-5pm, please stop by and enjoy this incredible opportunity to discover unique fashion and crafts, exquisite artwork, live music, and a stunning performance from traditional powwow dancers.

We hope it will be first of many more collaborations.

From 4 Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market: For immediate release:

CALGARY, AB July 5, 2023 – Ready to experience an event around the Calgary Stampede that amplifies the true spirit of Indigenous culture?

Hello Summer 2023, presented by Four Winds Indigenous Showcase takes place at cSPACE Calgary from July 6th to July 8th and promises to be the perfect prelude to the Stampede, bringing together Indigenous-owned businesses, leaders, artists, fashion designers, and well-known musicians, for a celebration of arts and culture.

This growing cultural phenomenon is a three-day extravaganza featuring an impressive lineup of talent, including singer/songwriters Lena Daniels, Amanda Gendron & Curt Young, who will grace the stage with their captivating performances. Attendees can also look forward to a cutting-edge fashion show from innovative Indigenous designers. Traditional powwow will be a centrepiece of the weekend, and all are welcome to enjoy the vibrant energy of Indigenous culture.

One of the highlights of Hello Summer 2023 will be the performance by Alberta-based hip-hop musician and Four Winds co-founder, Tony Tootoosis, (Toosick). Tootoosis, a celebrated Grass Dance artist and performer, will treat the audience to his latest release: Letter to Elizabeth, a single and music video released in June 2023 and available on Apple Music and Spotify.

Tony Tootoosis Grass Dance on Sulpher Mountain Banff, June 2023 — Photo by Jennifer Peters @jkpeters_photography 

“Being part of the new history of this historic building and venue is important not only to Four Winds and the Indigenous community but also to all Canadians,” says Tony Tootoosis, Four Winds Indigenous Showcase. “We are proud to help infuse new energy and meaning into historically colonized institutions in Alberta while embracing inclusivity and sharing the vibrant aspects of Indigenous arts and culture with everyone. cSPACE is a progressive and inclusive arts venue, and we are proud to be there.”

With his unique blend of modern hip-hop and Plains powwow tradition, Tootoosis has a way of captivating the crowd and welcoming them in to fully embrace tradition mixed with cutting-edge hip-hop and new media performance.

This weekend’s event will bring together over 40 performers and vendors at cSpace, an innovative creative hub and event venue. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with diverse arts and culture programming, witness inspiring artist studios, and explore how creativity thrives in vibrant communities.

When and where:

The public is invited to join in the festivities at Hello Summer 2023 and enjoy the Indigenous Art Marketplace, live acoustic entertainment, the Indigenous Fashion Show, and the traditional Powwow. Marketplace operating hours from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, there will be plenty of opportunities to explore and support Indigenous businesses and artists.

Highlights include:

Thursday July 6th, 2023

• 12:00 PM – Traditional Powwow Showcase
• 2:30 PM – Tony “Toosick” Hip Hop Musical Performance

Friday July 7th, 2023

• 12:00 PM – Amanda Gendron Acoustic Performance
• 1:00 PM – Lena Daniels Acoustic Performance
• 2:00 PM – Indigenous Fashion Show

Saturday July 8th, 2023

• 12:00 PM – Curt Young Flute & Hand Drum Performance
• 1:00 PM – Powwow Performance from Tootoosis Crew Youth Dancers
• 2:00 PM – Curt Young Acoustic Performance

For more information and updates, visit the Four Winds Indigenous Showcase https://www.fourwindsyyc.com/.

Media Contacts:

Melissa Tootoosis & Tony Tootoosis

Four Winds Indigenous Showcase Founders:

fourwindsyyc@gmail.com

+1 403.771.6294

Theresa Tayler
Start Me Up PR

theresatayler@startmeuppr.com

+1 403.818.9689