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Join us for the Calgary launch of Halie Finney's Cousin Bear Comes to Visit. Halie will be in conversation with Jillian Fleck (creator of Cheryl) and host Cobra Collins. ABOUT THE BOOK
In Cousin Bear Comes to Visit, Metis artist Halie Finney introduces us to Francis the Bear as she prepares to reunite with her cousin. The pair haven't seen one another in quite awhile, so it's time to catch up, laugh–and uncover Cousin's big secret.
This debut work by Halie reveals a small snippet of the mythology of characters that she has created and modeled after her own hometown and the people who reside there. She uses the tales that come from her imagined world to explore themes of Family, nostalgia, and grief from Indigenous and small town perspectives.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Halie Finney is a multidisciplinary Metis artist who was raised in a little hamlet called Canyon Creek in northern Alberta. It's the same area her mom, and her grandparents, and probably her great grandparents were raised. They share the same gravel roads, creek, lake, neighbors, and many other things. Her work calls back memories of her hometown and often celebrates feelings of nostalgia, grief, comfort, and other feelings you might have if you're deeply rooted in a small town.
Nowadays, Halie lives in Amiskwaciwaskahikan (Edmonton), where she continues her art practice alongside her work as a tattoo artist. She has shown her work locally and internationally, is a core member of Ociciwan Contemporary Art Collective, and does a bit of illustration too.
Jillian Fleck is a comic creator from Calgary, Alberta. They received a Bachelors of Fine Art from the Alberta University of the Arts and later a Masters of Letters in Comic Studies from the University of Dundee. Their work has been published in a variety of zines, anthologies, academic journals, and stand alone publications.
Aside from making comics, Jillian has also taught classes and workshops, and given public lectures regarding the comics medium and zine making. Through comics they have been given the opportunity to share their work internationally and connect with people worldwide and within their own community. In their spare time they are known to grow orchids, chat about pro wrestling, and make ink. Cobra Collins is a Mohkínstsis based Indigenous and settler poet of significant height.
She has represented our city on a national level at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and was humbled to sit as Indigenous advocate on the Writers’ Union of Canada’s (TWUC) National Council in 2021 and 2022. Her debut short film “Hop Along Hang On” has been featured nationwide and internationally in numerous film festivals and has won several awards, including Best short film, Black Hills film festival. Cobra was also honoured to be shortlisted as a nominee for Calgary's 2016 & 2018 poet laureate.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
1302 4 St SW #100, Calgary, AB, Canada, Alberta T2R 0X8
