National public broadcasters ABC and CBC/Radio-Canada announced today their collaboration on a new original podcast exploring the life of lauded Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau and how the shocking discovery of thousands of Morrisseau forgeries led to the biggest art crime investigation in Canada, threatening to undermine his legacy and raising larger questions about how Indigenous art is considered and valued.
This new creative collaboration between ABC and CBC Podcasts was first announced earlier today at a special session (“Walking Together: Amplifying Indigenous Stories in Public Media”) of the 2024 Public Broadcasters International conference in Ottawa (PBI Ottawa 2024). It is the latest outcome of the continued Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ABC and CBC/Radio-Canada, which encourages the co-development of programming to increase its impact and engage wider audiences.
“Given the importance of shedding light on Indigenous experiences and our common commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices, this extraordinary story of art, mystery and fraud will grip audiences globally. CBC/Radio-Canada is thrilled to collaborate with ABC to bring it to life and to advance awareness of Indigenous artists like Norval Morrisseau and of the deeply disturbing treatment they received.”
—Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada
“Indigenous art plays a deeply important role in understanding a culture’s rich history and sense of national identity and we are proud to work with CBC/Radio-Canada on this important story. We hope this series gives our audience a better understanding of the life and work of acclaimed Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau.”
—David Anderson, ABC Managing Director
Raised on the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek reserve in Northern Ontario and known as the “Picasso of the North,” Norval Morrisseau was one of the most celebrated Indigenous artists in the world. But a flood of fakes and forgeries have clouded his great accomplishments and eventually led to the biggest art crime investigation in Canadian history, revealing multiple fraud rings of shocking proportions. Host Adrian Stimson, a multidisciplinary artist and member of the Siksika First Nation, will tackle the questions: Who was Norval Morrisseau? Why did it take so long to weed out the fakes? Who’s to blame? And what does this say about how we value Indigenous art and culture? A story that begins as a true crime narrative will open up into a larger consideration of Indigenous art and artists in Canada, Australia and internationally.
Production begins on the podcast later this year, with a release targeted for the second half of 2025. Key Indigenous producers on the project include Stimson, Falen Johnson (CBC), Kyle Muzyka (CBC), Daniel Browning (ABC) and Rudi Bremer (ABC). The hybrid team will also include Zoe Tennant (producer on CBC’s Unreserved) and Veronica Simmonds (Senior Producer, CBC Podcasts). Chris Oke is Executive Producer at CBC Podcasts, with development by Falen Johnson and Ashley Mak, Senior Producer, CBC Podcasts. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Leslie Merklinger is Executive Director, CBC Podcasts; and Arif Noorani is Director, CBC Podcasts. The project is supported by Robert Doane, Senior Director, National Indigenous Strategy, and CBC/Radio-Canada’s Indigenous Office.