Available at the Alberta Craft Gallery - Edmonton & Calgary

 Albertine Crow Shoe (Piikani Nation) considers her art to be a bridge that connects to today’s modern non-Native world. Traditional Blackfoot culture still exists and thrives within modern society. It is a rich and spiritual world that she interprets through the art of jewelry making.

Albertine’s great grandfather Stumik Sapop, Bull Plume inspired her to take this path. Until his death in 1920, he maintained a Winter Count ledger that recorded significant events in Blackfoot history for each year, from its start in 1764. Each small pictographic image carried with it a story for that event. Blackfoot history, told by Blackfoot, became visible to the outside world. Albertine believes she too can present Blackfoot stories and beliefs in similar images to the outside world.

By remaining true to the traditional art forms as a base, Albertine combines modern and traditional materials to produce a connection between cultures. Her designs flow from images that, symbolic in Blackfoot culture, envoke memory, history and spiritual power. Albertine uses traditional materials such as elk and buffalo horn, shell, types of pipe stone, and other local materials. And while she puts these on nontraditional bases [silver and brass] she strives to remember her path and roots in life.

ACC Exhibitions: Carrying On (2016)