Claiming identity through art

For Indigenous students at the University of Manitoba, the annual Indigenous Student Winter Showcase offers more than a venue to display artwork. It is a space to share stories, build connections, explore identities and celebrate the talents of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across campus.

Claiming craft and culture

Student and Métis artist Jacqueline Dean will be participating in the showcase for the first time this year.

"It's about claiming my identity," she says. "I am Indigenous, I am an artist and this is the work I have to share."  

Jacqueline’s work is inspired by nature, family, community and her ongoing journey of reconnecting with her Indigenous heritage.

“I've always loved being outside and connecting with nature,” Dean says. “I often take experiences from nature and bring them into my artwork.”  

Over the past several years, she has deepened her connection to her Métis culture through ceremonies, sweats and community gatherings alongside her mother.  

“I feel so good when I'm singing with everyone,” Dean says. “It’s something very special to me.”  

Where it started

The showcase began in 2022 at Migizii Agamik, created by Vanessa Lillie, Director of Cultural Integration. It was originally designed to give Indigenous students a space to showcase and sell their artwork while connecting with faculty, staff and fellow students. 

With growing participation, the event expanded and moved to a larger venue in 2025. Now in its fifth year, the Indigenous Student Winter Showcase brings together artists, makers, performers and community members for a day of creativity and cultural expression. 

A new chapter  

The 2026 showcase enters “a new chapter” under the guidance of Meghan Boucher (Young), Cultural Integration Lead with L’offis Wiichihihwahk – Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous).  

“This will be my first year leading the event, and I’m incredibly excited to carry it forward,” says Boucher. “Having attended and done lots of shopping at previous showcases, I’ve seen firsthand how special this event is and how much talent we have in our community.” 

Boucher believes that gatherings like the Indigenous Student Winter Showcase create important opportunities for Indigenous students to come together, build relationships, celebrate their identities and share their gifts with the broader university community.  

“Indigenous students bring so much knowledge, creativity, skill and perspective into our campus community, and there should be opportunities for that to be seen and celebrated,” says Boucher. “The showcase creates a space where students can share and sell their work.”  

Indigenous connections to identity and art

Another participant is Honey Flett-Frampton, a second-year School of Art student whose work explores identity, imagination and cultural discovery through digital illustration, drawing and mixed-media.  

For Flett-Frampton, participating is an opportunity to share both her artwork and her culture.  

“Growing up, I didn’t really know much about my cultural background,” she says. “For a while, I didn’t even feel connected to being Indigenous because I didn’t understand that part of myself. As I learned more about my culture and where I came from, I wanted to incorporate those connections into my art.”

Flett-Frampton says she was quite shy when she first started at UM.  

“At first, it affected me emotionally," says Flett-Frampton. "I felt a little isolated because it wasn't as easy to make friends. I'm comfortable now. I've started putting myself out there and getting involved in clubs.” 

For both Flett-Frampton and Dean, the Indigenous Student Winter Showcase is more than art booths or performances. It's a space to connect, share stories and see their cultures valued on campus.