In My Grandmother's Time
In My Grandmother’s Time, 2025
Installation: digitized image on vinyl
Christi Belcourt (apihtâwikosisâniskwêw/mânitow sâkahikanihk)
Born Scarborough, Ontario, 1966
University of Alberta Museums Art Collection
University of Alberta Museums
2025.8.1
Photography by Felix Plawski
Commissioned in honour of the relationship between the Rupertsland Institute (RLI), the Métis Education Foundation (MEF), the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (OMG), and the University of Alberta, In My Grandmother’s Time recognizes the shared commitment to Métis education, research, and cultural presence on this campus. Established in 1996, this partnership was formalized through a 2006 Memorandum of Understanding and has since created the Rupertsland Centre for Métis Research, established the Métis Education Foundation Endowment Fund, and invested millions of dollars toward Métis student success at the University of Alberta.
As the first large-scale art installation by a Métis artist at the University of Alberta, In My Grandmother’s Time reflects both the significance of this partnership and the University’s strategic commitment to centring Indigenous histories, knowledge systems, and presence through the arts.
At the heart of the installation is the image of the wild rose, an important plant in traditional Cree and Métis medicine, and a prominent motif in prairie beadwork. Radiating across the space, Belcourt’s bold and intricately symmetrical design connects regional florals, at-risk fauna, and Métis artistic traditions. Originally conceptualized as a painting using a knitting needle (or similar tool) to apply thousands of dots in the style of traditional beadwork, the piece was later digitized and transformed into vinyl for installation in University Commons.
Reflecting on her process, Belcourt writes: “In my grandmother’s day, a great part of preparing for the winter and feeding your family was relying on the harvest from the land and especially when the berries were ready.” For Belcourt, Métis beadwork and embroidery are “always colourful” and depict “elements from our experience from the land or in patterns passed down through generations.”
Christi Belcourt is a visual artist, environmentalist, social justice advocate, and avid land-based arts and language learner. Like generations of Métis artists before her, she celebrates the beauty of the natural world while exploring its symbolic properties. Her paintings are part of many public and permanent collections across North America. For more on the artist, visit: christibelcourt.com.In the following video, artist Christi Belcourt shares her process and the inspiration behind In My Grandmother's Time.