Bawaajigan - To Dream

Bawaajigan means "To Dream".

Jared Tait was the artist in residence in the Haliburton Sculpture Forest in August 2024. He worked with community members at the campus of the Fleming Haliburton School of Art + Design to create 3-dimensional woodland style paintings, which were installed in the Sculpture Forest on Saturday, August 17th, 2024.

Jared Tait is a member of the Sachigo Lake First Nation an Oji-Cree First Nation in Treaty 9,  territory in the far north of Ontario near the Manitoba border. Jared was raised in Thunder Bay. He currently resides with his family in the countryside near Bancroft, Ontario.

​In 2018, Jared began painting under the mentorship of his father, Tim Tait a self-taught artist. Jared recalls his childhood being surrounded by his father's paintings and being told the stories within them. Since his exposure to art at a young age, Jared has created a strong appreciation and connection to art.  Through his understanding of the Woodland style and the methods of telling a story through his work, Jared captures the deep relations to the land and its creatures.  He builds on these motivations to preserve the sacred stories, symbolism and teachings. Jared creates imagery inspired by his personal and spiritual experiences and hopes to pass his teachings on to future generations.

People can see Jared’s work hanging near the registration desk of the Haliburton School of Art and Design. An image of his mural Biingiden can be seen on one of the panels in the kiosks at the entrances to the Sculpture Forest and Glebe Park.