Ohpinikewin

Jessica Somers is Abenaki First Nation. She is greatly influenced by her grandmother who enjoyed creating scenic and wildlife paintings. Her father’s passion for carpentry and his hard work ethics and determination are what attributed to her success as an artist today.

Jessica loves creating paintings that represent knowledge of the natural world we learn and share through generations. Jessica is captivated by the teachings by elders in her community and her Nation. She creates art that connect to these teachings. This honors her ancestors while also ensuring the knowledge is passed on.

Jessica also provides workshops online and in person to engage the community by opening doors to create, educate and provide opportunities for community members to experience and benefit from Indigenous culture. She enjoys creating large murals with schools and organizations with community members to engage in community and the arts. Jessica believes that art is like language; it is a medium to express ideas and to share information. Art helps share thoughts, ideas and visions that may not be able to be articulated any other way. Art has a full range of expression. The process of creating art engages people mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Jessica uses her artwork as self-reflection, a way of seeking peace, sharing knowledge, teaching lessons, and/or telling stories. Jessica believes that art has been a survivance, a way of holding onto stories and history, embodying a way of life and expressing and sharing Indigenous identities. It allows individuals a richer understanding of the Indigenous history.

To see more of Jessica’s artwork, visit https://focalpointartistry.ca/

To contact Jessica call  705-969-6172 or email focalpointartistry@gmail.com