ohpinamake prize for indigenous artists

In September 2025, the University of Saskatchewan Art Galleries and Collection (USAGaC) will open the application call for the fourth annual ohpinamake Prize for Indigenous Artists. “ohpinamake” is a nêhiyawêwin term meaning “to lift others,” which was gifted to USAGaC by three Indigenous community leaders: elders Maria Campbell and Louise Bernice Halfe-Sky Dancer, and artist and alumna Ruth Cuthand (BFA’83, MFA’92). This prestigious award recognizes an Indigenous artist who works within the spirit of the term, and whose territories intersect with the current colonial borders of Canada.

In further conversation with community, USAGaC has endeavoured to remove systemic barriers that keep Indigenous artists and others from accessing opportunities like this. From this space of engaged listening, we are continuing to develop both the processes of application, adjudication, and the possible outcomes of ohpinamake over the remaining years.