Buy BACK by Nico Williams
Silent Auction
August 4–September 13, 2026
Following Nico Williams' landmark BINGO! exhibition at Centre PHI (Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal), and Union Gallery’s showing of Loan Stars: Beading Back our Manidoo, UG is pleased to host a virtual silent auction for an artwork that featured in these 2025 exhibitions.
Nico Williams’ blue and black Buy BACK mat appeared in both galleries’ pawn shop-inspired installations—Union Gallery visitors will remember it welcoming them at the reception desk last fall. Now, collectors have an opportunity to bid on a special piece of artwork with a unique backstory.
Manufactured to add character to the installation, the mat's message is one of cultural reclamation—a nod to Nico's practice of purchasing undervalued ancestral works (bandoliers, baskets, quilts, and beadworks) by artists-once-known, and displaying them with care alongside contemporary artworks by many incredible living Indigenous artists from across Turtle Island.
Funds raised from the silent auction will directly support artist fees for Union Gallery’s annual exhibition highlighting contemporary Indigenous artists local to the Katarokwi-Kingston area, hosted each year in partnership with Agnes and Queen's University's Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Visitors can look forward to the 5th annual exhibition this September!
With gratitude to Nico Williams and his team for their generosity and kindness.