The City of Lethbridge is looking to promote Blackfoot language and culture, and is doing so with their latest public realm improvement project.
The city is partnering with Primaris (Park Place Mall), the Galt Museum & Archives, the Lethbridge Public Library, The University of Lethbridge, and Lethbridge Agri-Food Hub & Trade Centre and the Allied Arts Council to select six indigenous artists. The artists will each be tasked with creating a design that will be wrapped on pre-fabricated OKI signs.
OKI signs were developed in 2019 by the City of Lethbridge Heart of Our City Committee and the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee, celebrating 2019 as the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages and the adoption of Oki as the official greeting of the city. Since 2019, the two signs have acted in the community as symbols of respect, understanding and reconciliation – and the hallmark of Sikóóhkotok (Lethbridge).
The contest is open to Indigenous artists of all ages and all skill levels, with a preference given to those Indigenous individuals with a direct connection to Blackfoot Territory. For details and to submit your expression of interest, please head to publicart.ca/currentcalls.