I am so filled with gratitude. My local Art Gallery in Salmon Arm is a gem for visitors and for artists. They are committed to artist careers while presenting contemporary art that is relatable and speaks to the public and our ever changing times. I had the amazing pleasure to participate in two exhibitions in 2023, Le7 Tmicw (Good Earth in Secwepemctsin) curated by Tracy Kutschker and Time|Space curated by guest curator Damen Archer. Both of these exhibitions challenged me and pushed my paper installations past what I could have imagined. My piece “Her voice gives hope for biodiversity” was a deep dive into the research of women being key to the preservation of the natural world. I had no idea how I would relate this. I just started to build and “got out of my own way” so to speak. I created roots and fungi from handmade paper, and found objects (even using old tomato cages I had found in a corner of the garden). This piece reflects on the work of two women, Suzanne Simard from UBC, and Elaine Sedgman from Kamloops, both amazing women who advocate for and elevate biodiversity. It makes connections between forest intelligence and our own human brains as Dr. Simard’s research has uncovered how trees use the exact same neurotransmitters that we do! I also created larger than life underground bee homes to recognize that 70% of bees live underground. This work was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever made mostly as it was built on my studio ceiling! (many times up and down ladders) I have just been able to reinstall it back in the studio and it will be on display come spring for studio tours. I’m excited to have people come by to see it.
Lots of help to install!
I shared in my previous letter about the exhibition Time|Space but here’s a recap in pictures in case you missed it: This piece also challenged me as it was my first time doing video overlay and so it took me hours and hours to learn to edit video. This piece reflects on how time feels when someone has chosen their own death date. The video was taken a few days before my Granny died. The paper is handmade from cut up cotton sheets, and painted with hand made bone black pigment.
