A community art project that began at the Peterborough Public Library has led to an international opportunity for Ash Street, a Michi Saagiig artist of Nogojiwanong/Peterborough and Hiawatha First Nation.
Street has been accepted into the Atelier Artist in Residence program, a two-week international residency running from February 2 to 16 at Chateau de Cerisay just south of Normandy in France, based on her work “The Red Dress: A Community Art Installation.”
Street created the installation in April 2025 in recognition of Red Dress Day, held annually on May 5 as a national day of remembrance and activism honouring the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited people (MMIWG2S+). First commemorated in 2010, the day was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black-Morsette’s REDress Project installation, wherein she hung empty red dresses in representation of MMIWG2S+.
Working in partnership with Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle and the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, Street created the initial piece that was installed in the Downie Wenjack Legacy Space at the Peterborough Public Library. Street invited community members to fill in open spaces on the dress with donated textiles and materials on hand.
The exhibit is now installed in the main foyer of Peterborough City Hall at 500 George Street North.
According to a media release from the City of Peterborough, in reviewing Street’s application, the Atelier Artist in Residence program expressed strong interest in both the artistic merit of Street’s work and the broader community conversations it has generated, particularly around what MMIWG2S+ means to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences.
“Inviting people to share in the process and engage in conversation has been at the heart of this work,” Street said in the media release. “That collective experience is what carried this project forward and ultimately opened the door to sharing these stories on an international stage.”
Street expressed gratitude to the City of Peterborough and the Peterborough Public Library for providing space and support for the installation and acknowledged the influence of Black-Morsette.
Mayor Jeff Leal said the installation underscores the importance of continued reflection and action.
“The Red Dress installation is a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to honour the lives of (MMIWG2S+) and to continue the work of listening, learning and acting,” the mayor said, adding the city is proud to see the local community-based project reach an international audience.
Melissa Redden, director of the Peterborough Public Library, said the library is “incredibly proud” to have supported Street’s work from its early stages and to see “this important work continue to resonate beyond our community.”
“What began as a local community-based installation at the library has grown into a work that is now being recognized internationally,” Redden said.
Atelier Artist in Residence is a curated arts residency program that is held at different destinations “to create an exceptional experience for artists,” according to the program’s website.
Each two-week session brings together 10 to 12 artists from a range of disciplines — including visual arts, music, writing, textiles, photography, and digital media — and at different stages of their careers, creating a multidisciplinary and multicultural cohort.
Tuition for the Château de Cérisay residency is $2,800 USD and does not cover round-trip transportation. Artists accepted into the program typically seek arts grants or other funding to support their participation.
