Project

Inheritance

Lacie created the project Inheritance, a site-specific multimedia installation that combines graffiti and woodburning techniques, as a sculptural installation along the shores of Lake Erie.

Where you stand today, right now, are the Traditional Lands of the Haudenosaunee Indigenous Peoples who have inhabited, cared for and protected the land and waters for millennia. I would like to share my immense gratitude for their allowance for us to live in Haldimand County in peace and harmony.

In 1784, the Haldimand Tract dictated the Haudenosaunee People would receive land, 10km on each side of the Grand River from source to mouth, which provided the basis of the Six Nations Reserve – just over 950,000 acres. The current Six Nation Reserve is approximately only 5% of the original land promised.

As residents of Dunnville and Haldimand County, which reside along the Grand River, we are occupants of stolen land, which we take for granted by taking too much from the land and polluting our ecosystem. As current residents of the area, although we did not personally steal the land, by living here, working here and playing here; we have inherited the responsibility of protecting the land and waters like the Peoples before us, while working towards Reconciliation with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

Inheritance is a reminder that the future of our watershed is in our hands, and from it grows all we know. Please take care of our fresh water so that future generations can be taken care of by nature, as we rely on it today to grow our crops and our families.

"Facilitating this project has been very eye opening for myself and participants and I've heard from many after the workshops saying they think about water differently now. I was very pleased to see so many local community members engage, but was even more impressed by the large number of people who travelled from Six Nations, Hamilton and Niagara regions to participate and learn about new art techniques."

- Lacie Williamson

Participants learned to use wood burning irons to create the fingerprints on the hands featured in the mural. Each line and mark is unique to whomever did it – and really helped to create the affect of old worn hands.

The graffiti element of the project involved layering of simple objects to create depth to give the work of art a more natural and organic look.

“Lacie’s understanding of participatory art processes are exceptional as they push past the performative, to an immersive level where participants not only gain new technical knowledge, but the opportunity for personal discovery.”

– Christopher McLeod

Lacie Williamson

She is a Visual Artist with almost 10 years of public art engagement experience, the chair of River Arts Festival, and president of Haldimand Art Works. Lacie’s work can be found at Gatineau City Hall in Quebec, downtown Ottawa and Trillium Hospital in Mississauga as part of the Human Mozaik team. Additionally, her solo work was part of the Lottridge Alley Project (2017), the Dunnville Commemorative Mural Project, and at Second Chance Records in Caledonia where she created several album art-inspired murals. Lacie was also part of, In the Soil Arts Festival 2017’s Rhizomes exhibit, where she facilitated a site specific interactive installation: Garbage and the Beautiful Embrace.

As an Artist Educator, Lacie owns and operates LVW Creative Barracks, Haldimand County’s only Art Studio and Gallery focused on providing creative experiences for all ages and abilities. She has more than 5 years experience teaching creative experiences to children, adults, seniors, and people with varying abilities. Her studio is a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where she encourages everyone to celebrate their own unique abilities while honouring the Indigenous Peoples of Canada for caring for our land so that we can live and prosper. LVW Creative Barracks currently works with Community Living Haldimand, Bethesda, Children’s Aid Society, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Grand Erie delivering unique educational experiences.