Matt Fisher, Radio Operations Manager at CFNR, has a personal connection to the recently unveiled $2 commemorative coin that honours his aunt, the late Daphne Odjig. Odjig, a trailblazing Indigenous artist, is the first woman to be featured on a Canadian circulation coin. The design of the coin is based on her iconic 1977 painting The Folk Singer, with additional elements from her 1978 work The Indian in Transition, which includes a fisher – a nod to her surname.
Born in 1919 in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, Odjig was a self-taught artist whose work played a significant role in reshaping the perception of Indigenous art in Canada. The Royal Canadian Mint’s new $2 coin, issued in both colourized and uncolourized versions, begin circulatingSeptember 4th, with a limited run of three million coins.
Matt shared how proud he is of his aunt’s legacy. This coin serves as a tribute not only to Odjig’s influential career but also to her role in advocating for the recognition of Indigenous artists within the broader art community.
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