Art display brings attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

An exhibit by a Prince Albert artist shows a collection of hearts made out of clay. (Mick Favel / CTV News)

An exhibit created by a Prince Albert artist is on display at the Saskatchewan Legislature.

The exhibit is meant to bring attention to the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girls in Canada.

“This message has to be spread across Canada, to cross cultures, to support those families that have missing and murdered loved ones,” said Cheryl L. Ring, the artist who created the exhibit.

The exhibit is a collection of hearts made out of clay. Over 900 people from the Prince Albert area took part in creating each piece. It took six months to create the entire exhibit.

Ring conducted an hour-long workshop which included narratives meant to cross cultures and bring awareness about topics such as the impacts of colonialism.

“It is not a First Nations issue, it is not a women’s issue, it is a human issue and we all have to care, because it is deeply connected to colonization of our country,” Ring said.

Each heart is meant to represent a woman or girl who was murdered or is currently missing.

On Thursday morning, Ring made a speech at a MMIWG2S presentation at the Legislative building in Regina.

Ring’s artwork will be on display in the Cumberland Art Gallery until the end of May.