Keegan Starlight holds dear memories of the Stampede.
His parents owned teepees, a legacy inherited from his grandmother, and annually they would assemble them on the land. “This is an intergenerational custom,” explained the 40-year-old artist from Tsuut’ina Nation. This involves not only painting the teepee but also gathering the fabric and supports, as well as stitching everything together prior to erecting it.
“As long as everything is driven by good intentions,” he stated, “there shouldn’t be any room for anger or disputes.”
“He noted it typically turns out to be a wonderful experience,” as his relatives laughed and enjoyed themselves — “exactly how it should be.”
It’s safeguarding the essence of the tepee.
Starlight brought those recollections to life in his panel illustrations displayed at the BMO Center on Wednesday night.
The artwork measures 12 feet by 18 feet and depicts Starlight’s young daughter wearing traditional clothing. She is standing beside the family’s horse, with her cheek softly touching the bridge of the creature’s snout.
In the distance, the teepee is visible, colored in hues of white and orange, adorned with four prominent red splotches running down its fabric.
Even though she was both the inspiration and the subject of his artwork, Starlight playfully mentioned that his daughter didn’t enjoy posing for it. “She detested it,” he chuckled, adding that the end product altered her opinion.
“He mentioned that she is really quite content with it,” he added, saying that she has requested to appear on camera during interviews about the painting. He remembered telling her, “It’s your choice if you wish to do so.”
Starlight aims for those who look up at the panel to feel a sense of connection—be it to the earth, to heritage, or to the spiritual realm.
The creation of the art piece spanned nearly a year, beginning in February of last year when Starlight learned from the Bank of Montreal that they had chosen him to contribute his painting to their premises.
However, the initiative had been underway for four years, stated Paul Seipp, who serves as the regional president for personal and business banking at BMO, as a component of the expanded BMO Centre project.
We viewed this as an excellent chance to commemorate our collaboration with the communities and honor the connection between the Indigenous groups and the Stampede for numerous people who get to experience the BMO Centre.
The bank officials were well acquainted with Starlight’s talent, as they had previously hired him to create a sculpture for their Buffalo location. “Our aim was to secure an artist from the region, particularly someone connected to Treaty 7,” Seipp explained. “And we recognized Keegan as a highly respected artist in this community.”
He mentioned that the feedback received even prior to unveiling the artwork has been overwhelmingly positive. “Our staff have shared two main sentiments,” he explained. “Firstly, their excitement about presenting this piece to everyone who visits the BMO Centre. Secondly, they feel it embodies the organization’s enduring dedication both to the Indigenous community and to the spirit of the Stampede.”
For Starlight, the instant he received the news felt “unreal.”
It was as though I was onautopilot, simply responding with ‘yeah, okay, thanks,’” he explained.Then after hanging up, it all began to sink in.
It feels as though we’re etched into the legacy of the Stampede and Calgary’s history. People from all over the globe will visit our family’s tepee and have the chance to meet my daughter.
With the unveiling complete and the panel now mounted on the wall outside the entrance to Hall A1, Starlight is looking ahead towards upcoming ventures.
He will keep working with educational institutions that have invited him to reside at their facilities and help design murals for their structures.
“I can’t provide extensive specifics, but several individuals have shown interest in the project,” he stated.
DDesai@postmedia.com
