September ’14 – Ernest Hall, Theresa Bagshaw, Kathleen Booth / The Art of Reconciliation

” Coastal Perspectives” featuring artist from the Bella Coola valley Theresa Bagshaw, Kathleen Booth, and Ernest Hall

Exhibition Dates September 5th – 27th, 2014

September at the Station House Gallery brings the community of Williams Lake and Visitors two colorful and challenging exhibitions all in a newly painted and refinished building.   The Station house Gallery is excited to be hosting in the Lower Gallery ” Coastal Perspectives” featuring artist from the Bella Coola valley Theresa Bagshaw, Kathleen Booth, and Ernest Hall; and in the upper gallery ” The Art of Reconciliation” with 13 artists exploring the weighted topic of Reconciliation, sponsored by the Orange Shirt Day Committee.

This mix of artists from the Bella Coola Valley bring with them some unique and extraordinary art works of clay and paintings to the Station House Gallery from the heart of the Great Bear Rain Forest. Creekside Studio Gallery.

The Art of Reconciliation

The Art of Reconciliation came out of my experiences participating in the planning process and events of the St. Joseph’s Mission Commemoration and Reconciliation Project (and Truth and Reconciliation Hearings) between 2011 and 2013. Using art to explore a significant historical, community and social issue in our community seemed like an interesting way to keep the conversation about reconciliation alive and active, and to spread it to a larger audience who might not otherwise engage with it. The Orange Shirt Day Committee (which also grew out of the SJM Project) agreed to act as a sponsor for the Art of Reconciliation. The project has also been supported by funding from the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society.

First Nations and non-First Nations artists were invited to a workshop in May 2012 to explore the topic of reconciliation and to

then create some representation of their thoughts and experiences of reconciliation. My friend and colleague Sheila Dick courageously agreed to co-facilitate the workshop with me, to hold the space for this exploration. There were twenty of us who spent over six hours talking about our experiences and thoughts about residential school, its impacts on ourselves, our families, and our communities. We learned a lot about each other, about healing, and about the impacts of this history that has so deeply damaged our communities.

Artists came back together in mid-June to share their work and further explore the process of visually representing their thoughts about reconciliation.