Aboriginal Culture
Ahnisnabae Art Gallery
Ahnisnabae Art Gallery is located in Mount McKay Place near the Fort William First Nation. The Gallery was founded in 1997 by the late Roy Thomas, an Ahnisnabae artist recognized for over 30 years for his distinctive high quality work. Roy Thomas created Ahnisnabae Art to showcase his work and to illustrate and promote the Ahnisnabae culture.
Today, the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery is owned and operated by Roy's wife, Louise Thomas, and is dedicated to the memory of her late husband. The Ahnisnabae Art Gallery carries on the legacy and dreams of Roy Thomas by showcasing his works, as well as that of several other local and regional artists, thus continuing to support and promote the Ahnisnabae culture.
While primarily concentrating on original work throughout his career, Roy expanded his collection to include silkscreen prints, reproduction prints, art cards depicting time, art etchings on glass. He also published a biography entitled "The Spirit of Ahnisnabae Art".
It's the perfect spot to find orginal Native Art, Giclee Prints on Canvas, Prints, Masks, Jewelry, Etchings, Beadwork Art, Soap Stone and Moose Antler Carvings, Amethyst, Dreamcatchers, Native Art Books, Ojibwe, Cree and Inuit Pocket Guides, Handmade Moccasins and Mitts, Gauntlets, Birch Bark baskets, Pow Wow CD's, Calenders and T-shirts.
The Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 am to 7 Pm, Saturday from noon to 5 pm.
Thunder Bay Art Gallery
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is located on the campus of Confederation College Campus. Doors are open for public viewing twelve months of the year. Starting as a Centre for Indian Art, the Gallery has expanded into a show place not only for Aboriginal art, but for contemporary Canadian art as well.
Upwards of twenty exhibitions a year are staged in three Galleries, a Community Gallery, and the front entrance display wall. There are over 1600 works in the Permanent Collection. Ninety plus percent are Aboriginal works in a wide variety of mediums, from as far as the northwest coast of British Columbia. Works from this collection are virtually always on display.
Visitors will find free parking directly across the street. In hot summer months visitors will enjoy air conditioning. Tour groups travelling by bus have ample free parking, and the Gallery is handicap accessible.
The Gallery gift shop specializes in one-of-a-kind art and craft gifts with a focus on jewelry, pottery, art catalogues, and more. Of particular interest to groups, organizations and businesses is the availability of meeting room space in a unique environment with catering allowed. Meetings can include specially prepared tours of current exhibitions. The Gallery is conveniently located just off the Harbour Expressway. Mailing address is PO Box 10193, Thunder Bay On P7B GT7.