Two Indigenous art exhibitions open at UBC Okanagan

June 1, 2023

Invisible Forces and You are on Syilx Territory showcase contemporary art

What: Exhibition openings, by UBC Okanagan Gallery and the Indigenous Art Intensive
Who: Krystle Silverfox, Tiffany Shaw, Sheldon Louis, Coralee Miller, David Wilson and Manuel Axel Strain
Opening reception: Wednesday, June 7, 5 to 7 pm
Exhibition dates: June 8 to August 24, open daily from 10 am to 4 pm
Where: FINA Gallery, Creative and Critical Studies building, 1148 Research Road, UBC Okanagan

UBC Okanagan Gallery and the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Indigenous Art Intensive are hosting two exhibitions of contemporary Indigenous art starting next week.

Invisible Forces and You are on Syilx Territory will open together with a public reception on Wednesday, June 7 in the FINA Gallery at UBC Okanagan. Both shows are curated by Dr. Stacey Koosel, UBC Okanagan Gallery curator and Indigenous Art Intensive co-ordinator.

“We are proud to be hosting such exciting exhibitions with these exceptional artists here at UBCO,” says Dr. Koosel.

Yukon-based, Selkirk First Nation artist Krystle Silverfox was recently shortlisted for the Sobey Art Award with an exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Artwork from Silverfox’s National Gallery exhibition is part of the Invisible Forces show and this will be the first time this artwork has been shown in Western Canada.

Tiffany Shaw is a Métis architect, artist and curator based in Alberta, whose work has been shown at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and multiple public art commissions including Edmonton’s Indigenous Art Park. She will reinterpret an ongoing series of work that was recently shown at the Surrey Art Gallery and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

You are on Syilx Territory is an exhibition that contains paintings by celebrated Syilx painters, Sheldon Louis, Coralee Miller, David Wilson and Manuel Axel Strain, which are all part of UBC Okanagan’s Public Art Collection.

“You are on Syilx Territory features new acquisitions from UBC Okanagan’s Public Art Collection, and is a call to action, to indigenize the university’s art collection that currently has only eight works by Syilx artists,” says Dr. Koosel. “In a collection that houses more than 800 pieces, that is less than one per cent.”

The two exhibitions are part of the Indigenous Art Intensive, a month-long event hosting leading Indigenous artists and scholars. All activities are free and open to the public and include talks, art-making workshops, an open studio day, the exhibitions and additional events.

The goal of UBC Okanagan’s Indigenous Art Intensive is for the campus to be a leader in showcasing Interior Salish-specific artists, ideas and practices, adds Dr. Koosel.

The community is welcome to attend the opening reception on June 7, from 5 to 7 pm. The exhibitions will be open daily from June 8 to August 24, from 10 am to 4 pm excluding weekends.

More information can be found at: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/indigenous-art-intensive

Media Contact

Patty Wellborn
Media Relations Strategist
University Relations

The University of British Columbia
Okanagan campus
Tel: 250 317 0293
E-mail: patty.wellborn@ubc.ca

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