The Skeena Salmon Art Show, a beacon for northwestern B.C.’s creative talent, is back for its sixth year. The organizers are inviting artists of various abilities and backgrounds to submit their proposals to the Skeena Salmon Arts Festival by June 17. The show is a unique platform for artists to explore and express their relationship with the Skeena and Nass watersheds, central to the area’s communities and cultures.
This year, the touring exhibition and art sale will be hosted by the Terrace Art Gallery, the Smithers Art Gallery and the Kitimat Museum & Archives. The show will take place at the Terrace from August 4 to 31, in Kitimat from September 8 to October 7 and in Smithers from October 10 to November 11.
Artists are encouraged to create works inspired by the life-sustaining salmon, a species of paramount importance to the region. In past editions, acclaimed regional artists, such as as Stan Bevan, Dempsey Bob, Marie-Christine Claveau and Michelle Stoney have graced the event with their artwork, contributing to a thriving local art scene.
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“Including your artwork in the Skeena Salmon Art Show means sharing your stories and knowledge, amplifying the rich local art scene in this unique corner of the world,” organizers said in a press release. The show is not only an exhibition but a tradition that unites local artists and artisans through creative expression, Skeena Salmon Art Show Coordinator Stephanie Patsula said.
“Salmon inspire and sustain us,” Skeena Salmon Arts Festival organizes said. The event strives to honour the salmon through art, embellish Skeena communities with public art and raise awareness of the salmon’s significant role in local cultures.
Patsula says “this is a celebration of salmon.” She and her partner plan to submit a recording of the sounds of the Skeena River, captured using underwater microphones, to emphasise the importance of the salmon to northwest B.C.
The festival organizers are proud of their local Indigenous representation, with 30 per cent of last year’s featured art coming from local Indigenous communities and Terrace and its surrounding areas.
They hope to see this representation grow in this year’s edition.