Press Release: JL Phillips Gallery to open Gold Dust Woman / Trading Post Humanism dual exhibition amid FIFA World Cup fanfare

TORONTO, ON — JL Phillips Gallery is pleased to announce Gold Dust Woman / Trading Post Humanism, a dual exhibition presenting new work by Guná Megan Jensen and Quinn Hopkins (Nigaan Noodin) in collaboration with Highness Global. Opening with a public reception on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the exhibition will be on view through June 28, 2026.

Presented together, Gold Dust Woman and Trading Post Humanism bring together two distinct bodies of work in a meditation on Indigenous futurity, ancestral knowledge, and the resilience of cultural form. The exhibition marks Guná Jensen’s first major presentation in Toronto and continues the gallery’s commitment to presenting rigorous, thoughtful contemporary practice by Indigenous artists.

GUNÁ MEGAN JENSEN — Gold Dust Woman

Guná Megan Jensen’s oil paintings bring ancient Tlingít formline into direct confrontation with the historical weight of European painting tradition. Working with large-scale canvases, Guná fuses complex Tlingit design with an awareness of colonial visual history—creating work that neither retreats nor capitulates, but intervenes. The paintings on view in Gold Dust Woman assert a Tlingít worldview with clarity and force, recentring the viewer in narratives of Indigenous sovereignty and ancestral continuity. This body of work is among the most significant presentations of contemporary Northwest Coast painting in Canada today.

Guná is of Dakhká Tlingit/Tagish Khwáan ancestry from the Dahk’laweidi Clan. Trained by Northwest Coast masters William Wasden and Mike Dangeli and educated at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, her practice has been exhibited in galleries across Canada and recognized with the William and Meredith Sanderson Prize for Emerging Canadian Artists. She has delivered lectures on cultural theft, decolonization, and healing at institutions including Princeton University and Stellenbosch University.

QUINN HOPKINS (NIGAAN NOODIN) — Trading Post Humanism

Quinn Hopkins (He/Him) (b. 1998) is a multimedia artist of mixed Ojibwe (Non-status, Batchewana First Nation) and Settler Canadian heritage, currently based in Tsi Tkaronto/Toronto. After graduating from OCAD U in 2023 with a Bachelor of Fine Art in drawing and painting, Hopkins developed a practice focused on creating interactive and playful public artworks. His work often explores dualities, storytelling, and relationships within the technological era, spanning media such as augmented reality (AR), animations, interactive projection mapping, and generative art.

His notable achievements include winning the Emerging Digital Artists Award (2024, XR Category) for his AR-enhanced murals, Stellar Narratives, at Evergreen Brickworks. Hopkins' visual storytelling has been featured in exhibitions like Nuit Blanche Toronto, Woodland POP! at Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Ice Follies 2023, and La Leun Washisho in Vienna, Austria.

Hopkins' commercial work complements his artistic practice, encompassing collaborations with clients likeROM After Dark, Amery, and the University of Toronto. This work involves creating interactive exhibits, music videos, and workshops, leveraging his skills in a professional setting.

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ABOUT JL PHILLIPS GALLERY

JL Phillips Gallery is a Toronto-based private gallery and consultancy that redefines the traditional art space through a sophisticated, curation-first approach.The gallery is widely recognized for its high-profile collaborations, most notably the acclaimed Art From The Turtle’s Back at Yorkville Village. This landmark exhibition celebrates the rich diversity of Indigenous artistry from coast to coast, while the gallery's recurring thematic shows, such as FEMME and FEAST, explore the intersections of modern culture, history, and the human form. With a professional background rooted in the management of world-class private collections and international art brokerage, Jessica brings a rigorous and disciplined lens to the contemporary market. More information is available at www.JLPPhillips.com and on Instagram @JLPhillips.

About Highness Global

Highness Global Inc. is an international contemporary art agency and full-service design firm dedicated to supporting artists in realizing ambitious work beyond the studio. Built to deliver projects from concept through completion, the firm brings together creative direction and consulting across public, institutional, and commercial environments, championing bold visions, underrepresented voices, and work with lasting cultural impact.

MEDIA CONTACT

Andrew Lovesey

JL Phillips Gallery

+1-416-716-6675 | JLP@loveseyland.com

EXHIBITION DETAILS

Exhibition: Gold Dust Woman / Trading Post Humanism

Artists: Guná Megan Jensen and Quinn Hopkins

Opening: Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM — Public welcome

On View: June 9 – July 5, 2026

Location: JL Phillips @ Worth Gallery

Address: 830 Dundas Street West, Toronto

Admission: Free

Web: www.JLPhillips.com/golddust-tradingpost

Instagram: @JLPhillips

HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.