Congratulations to the students from Pikangikum and Whapmagoostui, who built their own guitars!
Artscan Circle's first residency for Indigenous Youth living in remote communities was a Guitar-Making Residency under the mentorship of world-renowned Sergei de Jonge (pictured in 2nd photo). This summer, the students travelled from Pikangikum and Whapmagoostui to learn how to build their own guitar from rough materials, as well as familiarize themselves with luthier's tools. Students gained an appreciation for the choices of woods in guitar construction and why different woods are used for different parts of the guitar. Practical design and acoustic principles were also examined, as well as comparative approaches of other established guitar makers.
The five-week residency from June 24 to July 26, 2024 took place in Chelsea, Quebec (near Ottawa) at Sergei and Devora’s studio and restored farmhouse. The property sits on 15-acres that is mostly wooded and surrounded on two sides by the Gatineau River. Thank you to all the sponsors, teachers, volunteers and mentors that helped make this possible!
The residency is inspired by our original Guitar Project and funded by Indspire’s River to Success Program & William-Grit Laskin.
The 2024 Guitar-Making Residency
MEET THE STUDENTS
KEYSER KEEPER
Keyser is a recent graduate from Eenchokay Birchstick School in Pikangikum First Nation, a remote Ojibway community in northern Ontario. Keyser’s parents Ross and Geraldine Keeper travelled by boat and car (almost 600 kms) to bring Keyser to the airport for his second last leg of the journey to Chelsea, Quebec.
One of the many awesome things about Keyser is that he’s fluent in his Ojibway language along with his parents. How cool is that? We’re super proud of Keyser and happy he participated in Sergei de Jonge’s Guitar-Making Residency and built his own guitar!
(photo: Keyser and his dad Ross Keeper)
MEDIA COVERAGE:
Keyser chats with Jolene Banning about his guitar-making residency exprrience. Jolene is an Anishinaabe journalist living and working from her traditional territory of Fort William First Nation. You can listen to it here.
Fresh Air with Ismaila Alfa: From Pikangikum, Ontario to Chelsea, Quebec: A teen travels far from home to learn to carve his own guitar.
Brady and Matthew George
Brady and Matthew George are from Whapmagoostui, the northernmost Cree community in Quebec. In June, their mom, Cheryl Bobbish, Aunt Christa Bobbish, and friend Sarah Masty travelled with the teens to Chelsea, Quebec. After a flight out, the women then shared over 18 hours of driving to arrive at their destination.
Brady is the lead guitar player in his band, Dreamwalkers. Matthew and he are fluent in their Cree language and are each other's biggest supporters. Sergei expressed to Artscan Circle that Matthew and Brady are some of the most talented woodworkers that he has had the pleasure of teaching. We’re so proud of you two!
(Photo: Cheryl Bobbish, Sarah Masty, Christa Bobbish, Matthew and Brady George)