Mouse Woman drawing by Luke J. Parnell
The Beat
A monthly newsletter about the art of
First Nations on Canada’s West Coast
This is the thirty-fifth issue of The Beat, a free, independent newsletter that brings you up-to-date on the art, artists and events of the First Nations on Canada’s Pacific Coast.
We respectfully acknowledge the Coast Salish Peoples, on whose traditional territories we live and work, and all the First Nations of the Pacific coast.
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Git Hayetsk dancer Hailey Stephens
at the Museum of Anthropology
The Git Hayetsk dancers performed at the Museum of Anthropology’s World Art Market event on the weekend of September 18-19 2010. As well as entertainment and cuisine, the market offered an opportunity for indigenous artists from many cultures to sell their creations.
The opening of Vancouver’s Douglas Reynolds Gallery’s 15th Anniversary show on September 18th 2010 attracted many well-wishers and collectors, who were not deterred by the robust prices of the works on offer.
Douglas Reynolds with some of the artists exhibiting at his gallery
See http://www.douglasreynoldsgallery.com
The Maple Ridge Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Spirit Wrestler Gallery of Vancouver, is exhibiting Transformation Tales: Stories Related through the Art of the Northwest Coast from October 2 to November 13 2010. It is a group exhibition and includes artists Robert Davidson, Jay Simeon, Tim Paul and Dempsey Bob. For more information and tour times, see http://www.theactmapleridge.org
There was a repatriation of Haida objects to the Haida Gwai’i in August 2010 (see The Beat September 2010). On September 15 an even larger group of historic and spiritual works were returned to the Nisga’a Nation, under the terms of the treaty signed in 2000 by the Nisga’a and the governments of Canada and British Columbia. This is the first Canadian repatriation to result from a treaty. The theme of the celebration was The Spirit of Our Ancestors Has Returned Home, and the return was celebrated in the village of Laxgalts’ap (Greenville).
From the Royal British Columbia Museum 155 and from the Canadian Museum of Civilization 121 objects were brought back to Nisga’a territory. The museums concerned have lost only a part of their holdings of traditional objects; both institutions are currently collecting contemporary art by First Nations. The Nisga’a Nation is planning to build a museum to hold their collection.
For more, see Nisga'a Artifacts Returning Home
Seahawk Auctions will hold a sale of over 300 items in the Engineers Auditorium at 4333 Ledger Avenue in Burnaby BC on October 3 2010. Another auction of over 300 items from several BC collections will be held on November 21 2010, including work by Beau Dick, Gene Brabant and Robert Davidson, as well as Southwest art.
See http://www.seahawkauctions.com
Skeena Reece performs with the Marlon Brando Mask
by artist Corey Bulpitt
during the Twisted Symposium
A symposium was held at the Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver in September. The Twister set out to examine the history and the future of Centre A, a non-profit art gallery in downtown Vancouver, within the context of international contemporary art, new technologies and the city’s rapidly changing cultural landscape. The wide-ranging keynote address, Wounds, Happiness, Distance, was delivered by David Elliott, artistic director of the 17th Biennale of Sydney. As an introduction to Elliot’s talk, Vancouver artist Skeena Reece performed with a mask of Marlon Brando, created by artist Corey Bulpitt for her performance piece at the 2010 Sydney Biennale.
Vancouver artist Rebecca Belmore has created a performance piece Worth (Statement of Defence) in response to a legal dispute with her former dealer in Toronto. Belmore is a prominent and much-honoured figure in Canadian art. Her recent work outside the Vancouver Art Gallery involved a sign stating I am Worth More than One Million Dollars to My People. She has donated it to the VAG, and announced that she has quit creating art. The story behind her action is at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/the-story-behind-rebecca-belmores-i-quit-performance/article1719259/
Images of Belmore’s work can be found at
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/a-belmore-sampler/article1719182/?
The performance on YouTube is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9DfVAzok4
Tsimshian artist Corey Moraes has created a 6’ panel for Hillel at the University of British Columbia, which will be unveiled in October.
The September 23 auction at Kilshaw’s in Victoria brought interesting results: a serigraph of a beaver from 1972 by Robert Davidson sold for $270, above estimate; a “Kwakiutl Bumble Bee Mask” by Earl Wadhams from 1993 sold for $240, and a 16” wide Salish imbricated basket estimated at $150-250, sold for $1,350. For more information, see http://www.kilshaws.com
At Bonhams sale in San Francisco on September 13 2010, property from the Lynden Pioneer Museum in Lynden Washington was offered for sale, although not all lots succeeded The next Bonhams sale of First Nations art is on December 6 2010.
In Victoria Lunds Auctioneers and Appraisers sale EthnoWorld, which includes aboriginal art, is on November 9 2010.
In Vancouver Maynards Art & Antiques Northwest Coast and Inuit Art is on October 17 2010 and will include work by Susan Point, and Roy Henry Vickers. A complete portfolio of Bill Reid’s serigraphs for The Salmon – Canada’s Plea for Threatened Species will be offered. A portrait mask by Tony Hunt Jr. from 1980 is estimated at $600-800.
For more information, see http://www.maynards.com
The
first aboriginal art gallery in New Brunswick is opening there this
week. The Klus’kap Art
Gallery owner, Pascal
A. Pelletier, is from
Quebec; his father is a Cree. Pelletier, a painter and a carver,
lived in British Columbia for twelve years and studied northwest
First Nations art. He says that he “was stunned by the pride the
people had in their culture.” Pelletier
plans to show native art from all over Canada in his new gallery at
851 Main Street in Moncton.
Read more at:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2010/09/29/nb-aboriginal-art-gallery.html#ixzz112sZhtQ2
The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler BC is a finalist for the 2010 National Awards for Tourism. The category for Tourism Excellence recognizes the best of Canada's tourism industry, and this new category highlights the people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer a superior cultural tourism experience to travelers in Canada. Winners will be announced November 2nd at the Tourism Summit in Gatineau Quebec.
ADrum Making Workshop
with Alice Guss
will be held at the SLCC on October 24 2010 at 1 pm, $130 per
participant, and each person will be provided materials and
instructions in making a 14” deer hide drum and stick. Alice Guss
from Squamish Nation has worked with community for many years to
raise awareness and understanding for the Squamish Culture. Guests
will learn how to make a drum and gain insight into why drumming is
so significant to the First Nations people.
To sign up please
contact Alice Guss: tsawaysia@hotmail.com
For more about the Squamish Lil’wat Centre see http://www.slcc.ca
The National Museum of the American Indian in New York City at the George Gustav Heye Center opens a new permanent exhibition on October 23 2010, Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian. The opening exhibition features a display of headdresses. From the Northwest is a carved and painted chief’s headdress depicting a killer whale with a raven emerging from its back, created and worn by Willie Seaweed (Kwakwaka’wakw). A book, edited by curator Cecile R. Ganteaume, will accompany the exhibition. See more at
http://go.si.edu/site/R?i=f-mafgIqaCIRxRLe2UJsJw.
The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC opens Vantage Point: The Contemporary Native Art Collection, on September 25 2010, with works by 25 artists in a range of media.
http://go.si.edu/site/R?i=ncFuhQJR8Lv-UNIFAllAXw.
A Caring for Totem Poles Workshop will be held by the Canadian Conservation Institute in partnership with the Kitselas Band Council, the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Art and the Northwest Community College. Cultural and ethical considerations in the care of poles, project organization in preservation, and scientific and practical considerations in handling poles will all be discussed. Hands-on experience is included. The workshop will be held at the beautiful Kitselas Canyon National Historic Site near Terrace BC, beside the Skeena River. For more information write: kswain@nwcc.bc.ca or julie.stevenson@pch.gc.ca
The Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Gallery in Winnipeg is presenting an exhibition REMIX THEORY of work by Jackson2Bears (based in Vitoria BC) and Bear Witness. The artists share an interest in DJ culture. Conjuration of Joseph Brant is an installation by 2Bears in which the artist forms life-sized figures utilizing a combination of painting and photo transfer. The installation is inspired by a dream concerning identity, doubling and ancestors. A video projection interacts with the figures to capture the relationships between the artist’s dream and reality. The show runs from October 15 to November 20 2010.
More at http://www.urbanshaman.org
The Alcheringa Gallery in Victoria BC has opened Pacific Patterns and Dreamings, an exhibition of “two-dimensional works exploring the common ground between the symbolic language and styles of prominent contemporary indigenous artists of the Northwest Coast of Canada and Australia. Featured artists include Dennis Nona, Banduk Marika and Freddy Timms (Australia), and Susan Point, lessLIE , Rande Cook and Dylan Thomas (Canada).
For more see http://www.alcheringa-gallery.com
The University of Washington Press has published The People Are Dancing Again: the History of the Siletz Tribe of Western Oregon by Charles Wilkinson. A video of the author speaking about the history and culture of this nation can be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEtAIGxp6pc
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Comments, news and new subscribers to this free newsletter are welcomed. Please write to: editor@coastalartbeat.ca Past issues are available at our website http://www.coastalartbeat.ca
Thank you to David Dumaresq, Arti Chandaria, Hailey Stephens, Skeena Reece, Aaron Glass and many others for your assistance. The Beat is an independent, not-for-profit project written and published in Vancouver Canada by Ann Cameron. Copyright 2010 Ann Cameron.