October 14th, 2021- Jessica Desmoulin,

 Ojibway First Nations Artist came for a visit

Jessica came to share her art and her story behind how she became an artist. 

Jessica described herself as being a byproduct of Residential School and Day school survivors in a sense that she grew up not learning her own language or culture. Jessica’s grandmother moved her family off the reserve in hopes of removing them from any further trauma.

Jessica’s family is Ojibway from Eastern Canada where the woodland style has influenced her paintings both directly and indirectly. She looks to other artists for inspiration, but many ideas develop intuitively and are sometimes, coincidentally linked to ancient symbols relevant to her culture. 

Jessica continued explaining her journey as an artist and that she started painting for her own mental health and began to learn about her connection to the Ojibway. She says she still has lots to learn, there is still a big void to fill as she is slowly being introduced to others willing to share the Ojibway culture that she never learned as a child. Jessica often feels racism from two sides, one for being native and one for not being native enough.