As part of a new series of essays taking inspiration from the Alternator archive, Lucas Glenn interviews prominent syilx artist Sheldon Pierre Louis to discuss his practice, and what it means to make space for syilx and Indigenous artists.

Detail from Sheldon Pierre Louis’ installation, *Front Lines* (2019). Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art. Image courtesy of the Alternator.

In 2019, political graphics appeared in vinyl at an arts centre in downtown Kelowna. The work was by syilx artist, Sheldon Pierre Louis. The graphics included messages advocating for water protection and Indigenous sovereignty. Statements like “puti? kʷ aia? (we are still here)” served as reminders that the land and water here are syilx.

5 years after the installation, I connected with Louis. We discussed his history, practice, career, and influences. We also discussed his 2019 work Front Lines, and what it means to make space for syilx and Indigenous artists.

Lucas Glenn: Why did you decide to be an artist?

Sheldon Pierre Louis: My family is full of artists. When I was about five or six years old, I remember going to a public exhibition at our community hall. This would have been 1985/86. My dad was showing his art in a booth there. I came home that day and I told my parents I wanted to be an artist. That’s where it all began.

LG: You have an early connection to syilx artist Barbara Marchand as well. She's made a name for herself in the Okanagan as a prominent sculptor and storyteller. And her work continues to leave an impression on many arts spaces here.

SPL: Barbara is closely related on my mother’s side. We used to visit her log home that was also her art studio. My dad and I would look at her work, and they’d talk about art. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Barbara was making a career at an early age. And this was when there weren’t many opportunities for Indigenous artists. Canada had only given us the right to vote in the 60s. And prominent artists like the Indian Group of Seven only started forming in the 70s. So as one of the first female Indigenous artists to graduate from Okanagan College, Barb was breaking down a lot of barriers.

LG: You are both involved in Kama? Creative Aboriginal Arts Collective, too. How did that start?

SPL: Barb was mentoring and teaching at En’owkin Centre, in Penticton. I didn’t fully understand it then, but I saw how hard she and others worked to create space for us. She approached me on several occasions about forming something. This was when I was struggling with addiction, so I didn’t commit at first. But once I sobered up, I agreed to take part in forming what would become Kama? Creative. Many of us, all at different stages in our careers, came together. It was through Kama? that Barb mentored me, and that’s when I first started exhibiting.

LG: What’s your experience been like with local arts spaces?

SPL: Some galleries and institutions are more supportive than others. The Alternator, Vernon Public Art Gallery, and Kelowna Art Gallery have been supportive of my work. The Penticton Art Gallery has been another space Indigenous art is gaining more recognition. But there are still spaces where Indigenous art isn’t as welcomed or supported. This is changing, but it’s a process.

LG: What’s the biggest barrier?

SPL: Non-Indigenous voices have traditionally dominated galleries, museums, and other cultural institutions. That creates barriers. Even when we do get in, often these spaces tokenize or misunderstand us. Sometimes they bring us into projects as an afterthought, too. It isn’t enough to bring us in after making all the decisions. Some exhibition spaces pay artist fees while others don’t, too. This leads to many Indigenous artists to look elsewhere.

LG: Partnering with Indigenous-led groups is one path forward for arts organizations. Groups like Kama? Creative can maintain their autonomy that way.

SPL: It’s so important to support spaces like Kama? as a foundation for art and culture. These are spaces for us to become warriors with our art. With good mentors, younger artists can learn how to stick up for themselves. It helps them initiate tough conversations and push our culture into spaces beyond. In so many spaces, the heart is removed from our art. Our work is often seen/shown as a subgenre, rather than Art itself. So calling it a battle isn’t an exaggeration— we do have to fight for inclusion and respect. We can learn how with the help of Kama? and similar spaces.

LG: I was impressed with the scope of Front Lines, your 2019 installation at the Alternator. It extended throughout high-traffic areas of the building. Typically the window shows don’t reach beyond the display case. What did the process look like?

SPL: The Alternator had a spot open up and reached out. The Alternator is one of the more experimental and open spaces of the Okanagan, so it was them that actually suggested going beyond the usual space. After we talked about the potential of vinyl, I created the graphics. I took the opportunity to create designs about water and water protection. I made the work simple and bold, referencing street artists like Banksy, Blek le Rat, and Shephard Fairey. That’s where the red and black, stencilled look came in.

LG: Street art— at its best— uses public and private space to voice material concerns. Often these concerns come from or affect communities on the margins. Street artists themselves tend to be art-world outsiders, working from margin-to-centre. Part of that involves using images that are easy to recognize. I can see how this applies to Front Lines, and to other aspects of your practice too.

Shepard Fairey created a mural in Lisbon to honour the 1974 Carnation Revolution. Taking place in Portugal, the coup stood out in history for its lack of violence. Photo credit by kbcool via flickr.com (CC BY-SA 2.0).

SPL: These artists understand the importance of using art as a tool for activism. Their work is bold and direct, and it’s not afraid to make a statement in the context of oppression. Many great artists in Apartheid Africa created visible street art, for example. I’ve tried to bring this activist spirit into my own work, especially when it comes to addressing issues that affect our community.

LG: Your work has evolved in the last 5–10 years.

SPL: It has. When I first started, I was making simple portraits. Now I create dynamic cultural imagery, often of our people. I’ve found ways to blend it with street art and styles from comic books I grew up reading and drawing.

Sheldon Pierre Louis, *swic’m – digging roots*, 2023, acrylic on canvas. Collection of the Kelowna Art Gallery. Purchased with funds from the Permanent Collection Reserve, 2023.

LG: Your painting swic’m – digging roots (pronounced speet-lum) exhibited recently at the Kelowna Art Gallery. Like Front Lines, the painting leaves an immediate impression. But it also has details, colours, and patterning that pull a viewer in.

SPL: I made the root digger piece for their public collection. I wanted gallery visitors to see something iconic of our people. And root digging practices are something our people recognize. I used street art filigree, shapes, and colours to make the painting more iconic, too.

LG: Both Front Lines and the root digging painting have cultural, land-based messages. But it feels like there is a tonal shift between the two. Why is that?

SPL: Since Front Lines, I’ve developed a tactical approach to pushing boundaries. In this way, Kent Monkman's art has been a huge influence on me. His work showed me that Indigenous art can be both confrontational and beautiful. That's something I strive for. And I don't mind shifting between overt political art and more subtle representations. Both ways of working challenge popular depictions of the Okanagan. Popular art here often represents the region and culture with rolling hillsides and desert scenery. Usually with ochres and yellows. My cousin and I joke about this being “wine art.”

LG: There’s no bigger challenge than dethroning the quail-in-a-vineyard painting as the Okanagan icon. But it's clear your efforts are paying off. You've even picked up high-profile projects with Walt Disney Studios and Parks Canada. Have you been able to navigate commercial projects without compromising your voice?

SPL: I try to address issues that affect our community in those projects. With Parks Canada I worked on educational signage. I used them to highlight how important it is to preserve our natural environment. It can be challenging, but I’ve found out it's key to clarify my intentions and boundaries from the start. With the Disney project, for example, there was a lot of back-and-forth. We challenged their ideas about how we would incorporate Indigenous elements. You have to make sure your voice is heard, even when you’re working within a larger system.

LG: What are your hopes for arts institutions in the Okanagan?

SPL: I hope arts spaces work to understand our perspectives. They need to work with us to create not only exhibitions, but environments that reflect our experiences and cultures. This includes addressing the colonial processes within the arts and cultural sectors. It’s a lot of work, but it’s necessary if we want to see real change.

LG: What are your hopes for the future of your art? And for the work of other syilx artists?

SPL: I want to continue using my art to highlight issues that are important to me and my community. That includes environmental stewardship, social justice, or cultural preservation. I’m interested in exploring more collaborative projects. Bringing different voices together can create great work. There’s so much potential in using art as a tool for activism, and I’m excited to see where that takes me.

Sheldon Pierre Louis is a syilx (okanagan) multi disciplinary artist who resides at sənƛ̓uxuxtan (place where the grizzly bear killed them) on the Okanagan Indian Reserve IR#1near Vernon, BC. Sheldon is the lead visual artist for Kama? Creative Aboriginal Arts Collective and a current sitting board member for the Greater Vernon Museum & Archives and a former board member of the Arts Council of the North Okanagan. Sheldon is the recipient of 2015 Emerging Artist grant, the 2016 Emerging Artist Development grant and the 2020 Sharing Across Generations grant from First People’s Cultural Council. His art work can also be found in the offices of the First Peoples Cultural Council and the public art collections of UBCO and Kelowna Art Gallery.

Lucas Glenn (b. 1992, Winfield, BC) is a writer, visual artist, and designer based in unceded syilx territory. He received his MFA from University of Victoria. His research interests include ecology, tech, and do-it-yourself culture. Glenn continues to write and exhibit throughout Western Canada.

Art on the Front Lines // Lucas Glenn

Community built.
Artist run.