There's one hurdle organizers of the new art exhibit, The Land and People are One, have had to overcome.
"Some of the carvers in the show are so popular that they're selling the work they're creating, so some of them are creating more stuff for the show," says Mo Douglas, executive director of Arts Whistler.
The exhibit, which opened at The Gallery at the Maury Young Arts Centre on May 15, is a collaboration with Arts Whistler, Lois Joseph, who is the cultural director at the Ts'zil Learning Centre, and the Lil'wat Nation. It will showcase an array of work, ranging from the aforementioned carvings (Jonathan Joe and Ashley Joseph) to painting (Rick Nelson and Levi Nelson), weaving (Vera Edmonds), and regalia (Lois Joseph).
Photos by Pemberton photographer Simon Bedford will also be part of the display (while he's non-Indigenous, he has photographed events and cultural celebrations in Mount Currie for many years).
"He's captured a lot of it," Douglas says. "They're cultural celebrations, rodeos, powwows. (We'll also have) archive images that show the nation 50 to 100 years ago."
In total, the show will feature between 45 and 60 pieces. "What we wanted to do was show a bit of both the artwork and the artistry of various people in the nation," Douglas says. "The traditional representation of art—fabric, weaving, carving." Some Whistlerites might just learn something new about their Mount Currie neighbours, she adds. "Not everyone knows how strong rodeo is in their culture," Douglas says. "Barrel racing (for example), what these girls can do—they're halfway to the ground."
(The art show also kicks off right before the annual Lil'wat Nation Rodeo and Powwow, held in Mount Currie from May 18 to 20.)
Another surprising item that will be part of the show is a bass drum from a marching band dating back to the late 1800s. "I was like, 'This is hilarious. You have your beautiful drums that are made and painted and amazing ... and a classic Americana marching drum,'" Douglas says. "It's been at the SLCC (Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre) as well. That's a little nugget I didn't know about."
The show itself, meanwhile, came about after Douglas and Lois Joseph had been talking about organizing the exhibit for some time. "We finally had a window," Douglas says.
"It's a way ... for people to see more of the culture and customs of the nation in Whistler," she says. "We're starting to create familiarity, see some friendships be made, and have the communities get to know each other through art."
To that end, there will be an opening reception for the show on Thursday, May 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. It will include official welcome songs from Lil'wat leaders, Indigenous-inspired appetizers from the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, and an opportunity to meet some of the artists. "It will be a lovely night," Douglas says.
The Land and People are One will run at The Gallery from May 15 to 26.
