Cathy Demerais: Connecting Art, Community & Culture

For Northwestern Polytechnic’s second-year psychology student and Circle of Indigenous Students vice president Cathy Demerais, art isn’t just a hobby. It’s her way of connecting to community and culture.

“I’ve always been interested in art, especially drawing and painting. Not in a professional or highly detailed way, at first, more just for fun,” she shares. Even though her interest in art had started out ‘just for fun’, it really came alive when she started sewing regalia for her oldest daughter in the Aboriginal Head Start program through the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre.

That first project sparked a creative journey of a decade-long Powwow regalia artistry, beadwork, ribbon skirt making, dancing and art volunteering. Cathy is currently participating in the Emerging Indigenous Curatorial Mentorship Opportunity - a summer program hosted by the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie that is supporting her career in the arts through hands-on training in curation, exhibition design, and gallery management, all through an Indigenous lens.

“I never took formal arts classes, but I’ve always loved looking at and making art. I thought it would be cool to learn more about the background of how exhibitions come together,” Cathy reflects, sharing why she applied for the mentorship.

She describes her experience so far as both humbling and eye-opening. Through mentorship with Indigenous curator Franchesca Hebert-Spence, Cathy is further exploring the importance of advocacy in curatorial work, especially for Indigenous artists.

“I really enjoy learning from Fran, and the idea of advocacy for Indigenous artists. It’s something I hadn’t fully considered before. I find myself reflecting on challenges we often face, like limited funding, underrepresentation, and how our ways of creating aren’t always fully understood or valued,” explains Demerais.

Cathy is also working closely with Jessica Groome, Executive Director and Chief Curator at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, and with artist Carrie Allison, whose beadwork will be featured in the upcoming exhibition We Tend to Care, curated by Franchesca Hebert-Spence. “I am learning so much,” says Cathy. “There’s a lot more to curating an exhibit than people might realize. It involves deep research, writing, and countless small details that all have to come together.”

As her experience deepens, Cathy is also thinking about what comes next, and how her passions can come together in the future. “It hadn’t occurred to me until recently, but I’d love to find a way to combine psychology and art, maybe through something like art therapy…connecting what I’m learning in psychology with my Indigenous identity and my love for creating art. If I could bring all three together in a meaningful career, that would be ideal,” she says.

“I’m excited to meet Carrie and Fran in person!” she laughs. “I’m looking forward to meeting the pieces that we have been discussing for the last couple of months. I’m excited to unbox the artwork, unpack, and help put the exhibition together. It's impactful to be able to help an artist bring their exhibition to life and to see it all come together nicely.”

It’s that deep sense of care and responsibility, to the art, to the community, and to culture, that makes Cathy’s journey so powerful. Her work is grounded in tradition, but always growing towards something greater, a balance that mirrors our story of continuous evolution at NWP.

We’re grateful to the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie for their partnership with our Fine Arts department, made possible with generous funding from the RBC Foundation. Collaborations like these help students connect classroom learning with real-world experience in meaningful ways.

This opportunity is one example of how we partner within our community to empower our students to pursue successful careers with confidence and purpose.