Site Unseen: Gitga’at and West Vancouver Youth - Mural of Merging Voices

Opening Reception: May 10, 6 – 8 p.m.

Organized by Jackie Wong

This unique and innovative project developed for Canada’s 150th birthday supports links between coastal youth. To deepen understanding of their unique cultures and lands, students from the District of West Vancouver and the Gitga’at Nation in Northern BC worked together to create a large art mural.

The project, supported by the Celebration and Commemoration Program – Canada 150 Fund and The West Vancouver Community Foundation, was guided by artist Cori Creed, who assisted the students in the mural’s creative development, production, critique, assessment, and installation. In addition to hands-on studio instruction, students from each coastal community travelled to their partner communities to work together on the project, building cross-cultural awareness and celebrating their attachment to the land, community, and country.

Art teacher Jackie Wong, who directs the ArtWest 45 program at West Vancouver Secondary School, and Hartley Bay school principal Cam Hill directed the project in their respective regions. Site Unseen: Gitga’at and West Vancouver Youth – Mural of Merging Voices travels to the Museum of Northern British Columbia in Prince Rupert on June 3, 2017 and will be shown during West Vancouver’s Harmony Arts Festival at the Ferry Building Gallery, from August 4 to 19, 2017.