Everyone is welcome to a gallery open house and artist reception for Warroad RiverPlace’s newest exhibit, An Indigenous Artist’s Journey through Leather, Beadwork, and Portraiture, by Ojibwe artist Cindy Godin Hamilton (Williams, Minnesota).
Visitors are invited to browse the artwork, meet Cindy, and socialize over light refreshments at this free event.
Please note: The last production of Matilda the Musical by Warroad Summer Theatre will follow at 7:00 PM. Learn more>
The Exhibit: A life of ever-evolving, creative expression followed a transformational journey of ancestral homecoming for the artist. Exploring an array of artforms, Cindy found passion, curiosity, and natural talent with traditional leatherwork—like moccasins, mukluks, and mitts—as well as a fascination with portraiture.
An Indigenous Artist’s Journey is an opportunity to celebrate the power of Indigenous art and to experience the diverse ways in which culture, history, and individual expression intertwine, inviting viewers to appreciate the artist's unique vision and voice.
Gallery Hours: Everyone is welcome and invited into this space showcasing a life of ever-evolving, creative expression, July 29 through September 27, 2025. As always, it is free to visit Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM.
CINDY GODIN HAMILTON
Cynthia “Cindy” Godin Hamilton is a talented Ojibwe artist hailing from Treaty 3 with a rich cultural heritage that encompasses both European and First Nations ancestry, including Metis roots. Born in Baudette, Minnesota, to Canadian parents, Emil and Iona Godin, she was raised along with her brother, Mike Godin, and sister, Teresa McDowell, in Rainy River, Ontario.
Cindy and her husband, Dave Hamilton, live in Williams, Minnesota. They have two adult daughters, Tori and Tina.
As an adult in the late 1990s, Cindy was working on her genealogy when she was inspired by a picture of her great-grandmother adorned in beautiful moccasins—an image that would change her life’s journey and purpose. Awakening to her family’s Indigenous ancestry, Cindy immediately knew she had to learn the art of moccasin craftsmanship. Despite being in California far from home, she persevered, self-teaching herself through extensive research and experimentation, eventually crafting her own unique patterns. What started as a hobby transformed into a meaningful artistic expression, keeping her family’s cultural traditions alive and deepening an identity with her familial roots. Each pair of moccasins that she creates represents the resilience and beauty of Indigenous culture.
With moccasins as her original inspiration, Cindy’s diverse skills now span from crafting traditional leather, embroidered mukluks and mitts to portrait painting in pastels, oils, and acrylics. Her dedication to honoring her First Nations and Metis heritage is evident in her work.
During this journey of ancestral homecoming through creative expression and cultural preservation, Cindy has experienced many highlights and recognitions for her work. She is the recipient of several Individual Art grants and an Artist Fellowship through the Minnesota Region 2 Arts Council. Over the last three years, she has been included in nine group art exhibitions across the state of Minnesota; her works have appeared at All My Relations Arts (Minneapolis), American Swedish Institute (Minneapolis), Watermark Art Center (Bemidji), The Reif (Grand Rapids), and MacRostie Art Center (Grand Rapids). Cindy was chosen by Manitobah Mukluks to be a contributing artist for their online Indigenous Market the last two years, and she won Best in Show at the juried art contest at the Third Annual Anishinaabe Art Festival in Bemidji in July 2024. Cindy is a 2025 recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Individual grant; she is currently creating 10 new works that will be on display at Bemidji’s Watermark Art Center in 2026. As a local arts advocate and educator, she brings leadership service as the current president of the Lake of the Woods Art Guild in Baudette, while teaching and cultivating Indigenous craftsmanship at a variety of workshops across the region.
As Cindy continues to create breathtaking artwork and to impart her knowledge through community workshops and exhibitions, her profound connection to her roots remains an essential foundation in all her artistic endeavors.
Follow Cindy on social media to learn more about her journey: Facebook: Cindy Hamilton - Indigenous Artist; Instagram: cindy_hamilton_native_artist