The Vernon Public Arts Gallery has multiple exhibits featuring local and regional Indigenous artists running from January 13th to March 9th.
Ramble On is a group exhibition put on in partnership with UBC Okanagan and their Public Gallery Collection. The artists included practice in a variety of mediums and include artists from different backgrounds.
Among their artist roster is David Wilson Sookinakin, a Syilx and OKIB member working and creating in the Vernon area. You may recognize his name from news coverage of his artwork being chosen to represent the categories in the BC Winter Games.
His artwork draws from the styles and imagery from Syilx culture, using pictographs traditionally used and found in the territory, pairing that with modern and vibrant color palettes.
Hidden Spirits is a collection of work from Syilx artist, Coralee Miller. Many of her pieces are inspired by the traditional oral stories in her Syilx and Okanagan heritage.
In her artist biography on the UBC Okanagan website, Miller explains some of the cultural connection to her art:
"In Syilx belief, people are part of an interwoven relationship between the land, water, animal, and spirit. I do my best to portray this relationship in my paintings by depicting scenes of connectedness between the natural world and the spiritual."
Unsettle the Settler: Dismantling Systemic Oppression is an exhibit from the S?at qw(l)p Kama? Arts Collective, which includes a variety of emerging and established artists from different creative mediums and backgrounds. This collective advocates for creative and artistic development for all creative backgrounds and disciplines.
One of the collective's objectives is to help support and showcase artists in public exhibitions like the one currently at the Vernon Public Art Gallery.
Visiting the Gallery:
The Vernon Public Art Gallery is located at 3228 31st Avenue in Vernon, BC.
The gallery hours are:
Monday - Friday: 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Saturday: 11:00AM - 4:00PM
Sunday: CLOSED
The Vernon Public Art Gallery asks that you please follow COVID-19 procedures while at the gallery, including sanitizing your hands, practicing social distancing, and wearing a mask at all times while inside the building. Finally, if you are feeling at all sick or unwell, to postpone your visit to another time.