Alex Janvier

Alex Janvier was born in 1935, and is of Denesuline and Saulteaux descent. He was raised in the nurturing care of his family until the age of eight, when he was uprooted from his home and sent to the Blue Quills Indian Residential School, near St. Paul, Alberta. Unlike many Indigenous artists of his time, Janvier received formal art training from the Alberta College of Art in Calgary. He graduated in 1960, immediately taking up a position teaching art at the University of Alberta.

As a member of the “Indian Group of Seven,” Janvier was a pioneering Indigenous artist, influencing later generations. In recognition of his success, he has received prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, the Tribal Chiefs Institute, and Cold Lake First Nations. Janvier’s talent and passion for creative expression remain strong to this day.