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Learn more about The Bison – the 2023 Edmonton Tourism Award
Nicole Tremblay grew up in Victoria, BC. and Calgary, AB. She always knew she wanted to be an artist, in fact never seriously considered any other career. She attended the Alberta College of Art and Design and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a specialization in glass in 1998. She worked on her own designs, mostly functional blown glass and glass beads, and started assisting artist Susan Gottselig in the hot shop. Nicole moved out to Toronto, ON., where she continued to pursue her art at the Galactic Art Glass Studio and fell in love with southern Ontario.
Eventually the fresh Rocky Mountain air overpowered and lured Nicole back to Canmore, AB., where she reconnected with Susan, and made The Hot Glass Studio home base for her art practice. Since 2004 Nicole has been living and working in Canmore. She designs and blows, one by one, glass vases, bowls, scent bottles and ornaments, and makes glass beads at a torch which she uses in her jewelry designs. She also continues to work with Susan
The Indigenous people have always had a spiritual connection with all of nature. Their belief was, and still is, that their lives and nature are all interconnected. The bison was a very spiritual animal for many of the Indigenous people and there has always been a dependency on the bison for food, shelter, clothing, and tools.
The Indigenous used all parts of the bison, wasting little. Bison meat was a primary source of food. Bones made tools and weapons. Hides provided materials for blankets, clothing and shelters known as teepees. The Indigenous people believed that each spring a benevolent spirit sent waves of bison onto the plains for their use. The bison was considered as a life-giving gift from the higher spirits.
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