The National Gallery of Canada announces Sherry Farrell Racette as inaugural Audain Indigenous Curatorial Scholar in Residence

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 11, 2026 /CNW/ - The National Gallery of Canada (NGC), in partnership with The Audain Foundation is thrilled to announce Sherry Farrell Racette as the inaugural Audain Indigenous Curatorial Scholar in Residence, a new three–year, research–based residency in historical Indigenous art.

The Audain Fellowship in Indigenous Historical Art supports senior Indigenous scholars working to advance knowledge, research methodologies and best practices for institutions that collect, exhibit and conserve Indigenous historical art. Farrell Racette's residency at the NGC will begin later this year.

"We are extremely pleased and honoured to have such an eminent and accomplished scholar, curator and community activist as the inaugural Audain Indigenous Curatorial Scholar in Residence working with the National Gallery teams," said Steven Loft, Vice-President, Indigenous Ways and Decolonization at the NGC. "Sherry Farrell Racette brings a wealth of experience, critical research practice and community relations to her project with us. We are very much looking forward to supporting her work and sharing it widely with our many communities."

"What drew the Audain Foundation to this fellowship was the opportunity to support thoughtful research that deepens understanding of historical Indigenous art," said Michael Audain, Chair of the Audain Foundation. "We are pleased to support Sherry Farrell Racette's work at the National Gallery of Canada and to see how her research will contribute to new ways of learning from and caring for Indigenous collections."

Sherry Farrell Racette (Métis/Anishinaabe–Algonquin/Irish) is a Professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Regina and a member of Timiskaming First Nation (Quebec). A cultural historian, artist and curator, her work is grounded in extensive research in archives and museum collections, with a focus on Indigenous women and the recovery of aesthetic knowledge. Beadwork and stitch–based practices are central to her artistic and scholarly work. Farrell Racette has illustrated ten books and has led major curatorial projects including Kwaata–nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth and Radical Stitch--which was presented at the NGC in 2024. She is the recipient of the University Art Association of Canada Lifetime Achievement Award (2021).

"It's an honour to be the inaugural Audain Indigenous Curatorial Scholar in Residence, and I hope to contribute to the work of the department of Indigenous Ways and Decolonization, as that is the foundation of how and why I engage with historic Indigenous art. I am an artist and I engage with art through an artist's lens," said Sherry Farrell Racette. "My goal over the next three years is to explore the best ways of rematriating knowledge, both in my own work and with artists and knowledge keepers who are leading the way. And, importantly, to critically examine what that means for institutions and those entrusted with their care."

During her residency, Farrell Racette will undertake the research project Knowledge Repatriation / A Pedagogy of Looking, which examines how extended, experiential engagement with historical Indigenous artworks can help recover and share knowledge held within museum collections. The project focuses on creating the time and space for careful, respectful looking, relationship–building and learning directly from these works, which are understood as living cultural belongings. By combining close study with hands–on creative research such as making and experimenting with materials and techniques, Farrell Racette will examine how this approach can deepen understanding of Indigenous art and change how museums work with Indigenous communities. The project will culminate in a public symposium and a publication.

The Audain Fellowship in Indigenous Historical Art is a three–year appointment that includes a stipend of $50,000 per year, additional support for travel and research, access to the NGC's collections and staff, and institutional support for public programs and a dedicated publication. The residency reflects the NGC's ongoing commitment to Indigenous–led research, collaboration and institutional transformation.

About the National Gallery of Canada

Founded in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada is among the world's most respected art institutions. As a national museum, we exist to serve all Canadians, no matter where they live. We do this by sharing our collection, exhibitions and public programming widely. We create dynamic experiences that allow for new ways of seeing ourselves and each other through the visual arts, while centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Our mandate is to develop, preserve and present a collection for the learning and enjoyment of all – now and for generations to come. We are home to more than 90,000 works, including one of the finest collections of Indigenous and Canadian art, major works from the 14^th to the 21^st century and extensive library and archival holdings. 

Ankosé – Everything is connected – Tout est relié 

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

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