Cree-Métis artist, designer, and educator Jason Baerg (they/them) is a leading voice in Indigenous contemporary art and culture. Raised in Red River (Prince Albert, SK), Baerg’s practice bridges visual art and fashion.
Baerg is a registered member of the Métis Nations of Ontario. They serves their community as an Indigenous activist, curator, educator, and interdisciplinary artist. Baerg teaches as the Assistant Professor in Indigenous Practices in Contemporary Painting and Media Art at OCAD University. Exemplifying their commitment to community, they co-founded The Shushkitew Collective and The Métis Artist Collective.
Baerg also recently debuted a new collection with brand Ayimach Horizons at Native Fashion Week in Santa Fe, and were named one of “21 Artists to Know” by Vogue.
This summer, they are on faculty at Kapishkum: Métis Gathering, a Banff Centre residency that explores Métis-specific forms of creative expression. Baerg is also an Assistant Professor at OCAD U and co-founder of both the Shushkitew and Métis Artist Collectives.
While at Banff, Baerg and I connected virtually to discuss their artistic journey, being an educator, their activism work among other things.
Content/Trigger Warning: Residential School. Suicide. Suicidal Ideation.