Episode 58: Kevin Hearn of the Barenaked Ladies - Norval Morrisseau Documentary

"I just wanted to buy a painting, really."

Kevin Hearn of the Barenaked Ladies is our guest on this episode of #Ahkameyimok. He and Perry talk about his new documentary, "There Are No Fakes," which exposes a massive art forgery ring surrounding the work of legendary Ojibwe painter, Norval Morrisseau.

When the Barenaked Ladies started producing chart topping, international hit songs in the late '90's, Kevin Hearn decided he could now afford to buy a painting by his favourite artist, Norval Morrisseau, whose abstract works of Indigenous inspired woodland scenes are celebrated in galleries around the world. Little did Hearn know that that purchase, which turned out to be a fake, would draw him into a bizarre, dangerous and heartbreaking world of art fraud that is destroying the legacy of one of Canada's greatest artists.

The documentary "There Are No Fakes," tells Hearns story. It was featured at HotDocs in Toronto and is now available to watch for free on TV Ontario at TVO.org

The Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions.

Our theme music is by the Red Dog Singers from Treaty 4 Territory in southern Saskatchewan.