06/25/2026
Barry Ace’s sculptural assemblage, Gwiiwzens Dreamed of Spirit Horses, featuring his signature electronic component and glass bead medicine flower motifs, draws parallels to the colonial histories of Canada through material and metaphor. The Ojibwe Spirit Horse, also known as the Lac La Croix Pony, was driven to the point of extinction. In 1977 the four remaining mares were bred with Spanish Mustang stallions to preserve this critically endangered breed. The work consists of a pair of gifted children’s cowboy boots that rest on top of two vintage stylized galloping silver horse cobbler shoe rests. Wire trail dusters extend out from the back of the boots referencing the erasure of the Ojibwe Spirit Horse and fostering public awareness of the brutal colonial history that attempted to eradicate them. The title of the work implies an element of optimism for the future, as Gwiiwzens (the young boy) dreamed of the return of these Spirit Horses. Barry Ace is a multidisciplinary Odawa artist currently living in Ottawa. He is a member of M’Chigeeng (pronounced: She-ging) First Nation from Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada.
