Dress to Redress: Exploring Native American Material Culture at the American Museum & Gardens

The American Museum & Gardens presents Dress to Redress, an exhibition of the work of contemporary Anishinabe artist Celeste Pedri-Spade, from 19 March to 3 July.

Featuring a series of spectacular wearable-art pieces, personal artefacts and
photography, alongside historical items from the Museum’s collection, the exhibition will demonstrate the continuing legacy and profound importance of visual and material
culture. This is the first time Celeste Pedri-Spade’s work will be exhibited in Europe.
Dress to Redress will focus on the role of strong women in community, using fashion to explore how stories and experiences of Indigenous and European women both connect and disconnect. Inspired by various designs and materials Pedri-Spade uses her work to remedy the past, revising male-dominated historical narratives, that fail to recognise the powerful role that women have played in their respective communities.

Five fashion art pieces from Pedri-Spade’s Material Kwe series, launched at Toronto Indigenous Fashion Week in 2020, will form a centerpiece for the exhibition, with photography and personal objects from her collection. A selection of items from the American Museum & Gardens permanent collections will provide historical context and will showcase the breadth and beauty of Native American culture and heritage, alongside interactive components encouraging visitor participation.