History is living and continuous; a place of rest, certainty, reconciliation … a place of tranquilized sleep.

- Michel Foucault, The Archaeology of Knowledge

Women In the Okanagan featured three local female artists, each reflecting on different historical narratives within the region. Through various approaches, viewers were asked to consider the way one reconciles historical memory – and the ways in which those memories can inform, enlighten and construct our notions of place and identity.

The deconstruction of history and its objectivity has been an on-going project for critical theorist and artists alike since the late 1970s. The Western notion of ‘history’ as a linear, master narrative was played with here, as the different relationships to memory and historicism were “juxtaposed to one another, follow one another, overlap and intersect, without one being able to reduce them to a linear schema” (Foucault 15).

In the work of artist Roja Aslani, the historical subject was removed from representation completely, allowing the audience to insert themselves into the historical canon.  Similarly, Tracey Bonneau memorialized the pioneering Sylix nation woman writer Mourning Dove, giving prominence to a history and story often silenced within colonial culture. And lastly, Mariel Belanger reflected on the history and role of her mother, reminding us of the power of women and their impact on the construction of both personal and collective identity. Each piece functioned outside of the dominant colonial canon by inserting into it’s discourse the women and Sylix histories that have for too long been marginalized. In this revived space, viewers were asked to reconsider their understanding of history as a stable, determined entity and instead reflect on the differing perspectives, people and events that have come to shape history in the Okanagan.

Bringing forward the erased cultural, self governance of the Tule Mat Lodge Village, Mariel Belanger engages Sqilxw historical practices of tule harvest and mat lodge construction. It is thought that co-constructing ancestral ways of being and knowing through Tule mat lodge will provide an opportunity to give back to the land, introducing the industriousness required in constructing an actual tule mat lodge and the ingenuity of Syilx people cultivating a sense of cultural pride. As an Indigenous engagement/ visitor protocol-based operations governance model to assist in remediating the colonial agenda through an integrated health, life skills and training strategy constructed in a syilxcentric framework, the tukʷtniɬxʷ – tule mat house pedagogy aims to bring out the distinct character of the northern Okanagan storied land, and the associated issues (emotional, psychological, social, personal, economic, political), which affect the broader community’s capacity-building and collective action focusing on the roles in Summer Lodge community governance.

For more information on Belanger’s current work, click here.

Tracey Kim Bonneau (syilx) is a veteran award-winning television writer and producer residing on the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Canada. Her most recent industry accolade include garnering four Leo nominations in 2016 from the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia for her original rich cultural documentary series Quest Out-West Wild Food, airing on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) . In 2018 Tracey was awarded the Aboriginal Business Excellence Award from the Penticton Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to the local economy within the film and television industry.

For more information on Bonneau’s current work, click here.

Chris Bose’s Jesus Coyote was a multi-media exhibition. Archival images of N’laka pamux people were juxtaposed with Jesus Coyote, a mythic trickster figure created by Bose, a hybrid of Christian and First Nations beliefs. Through his artwork, Bose wrestled with demons in the form of the traumatic effects of the residential school system on his parents, aunts, uncles, and how that trauma has rebounded on his generation.

Chris Bose is a writer, multi-disciplinary artist, musician, curator and filmmaker. He is a founding member of the Arbour Collective, an Aboriginal arts collective based in Kamloops, with a national membership. He is also a workshop facilitator of community arts events, digital storytelling, art workshops with people of all ages and backgrounds. Bose performs curatorial work for First Nations art shows and projects, and research and writing for periodicals across Canada. He is also involved with project management and coordination, mixed-media productions, film, audio and video recording and editing, and is a music festival producer. Chris Bose is of the N'laka'pamux/Secwepemc Nation in BC, and currently spends his time in Kamloops, BC.

To see more of his work’s, you can view Chris’ website here.

Doug Buis was born in London Ontario, and lived in many places including Mexico, Montreal, Saskatoon, and California before moving to Kamloops BC. His BFA is from the University of Victoria and his MFA is from  York University in Toronto.  His exhibition history includes galleries and museums across Canada, Holland, Belgium, Korea, and USA.

In his own work he investigates our malleable perception of  landscape and environment through a series of different media and strategies including sculpture, video, kinetic art, installation, other time-based media, photography and some writing.

Jihee Min’s Once Upon Camellia Blossoms focused on raising awareness for the growing tendency of fetishizing Asian females in the North American media. The gallery space was filled with 104 exaggerated silky camellia blossoms. The artist was present in the space, wearing a long, exaggerated wig. On the opening night, viewers were invited to fold origami flowers, based on a pattern on the wall, and pin them on the artist’s wig. Folding papers provided were commercial images of sexualized Asian females.

On the day following the opening night, Min walked down the streets of Kelowna wearing the wig that has been decorated with origami blossoms. Strolling toward the Okanagan Lake, she transplanted these flowers at random spots on the streets. At the shore of the lake, the final camellia remaining on the wig was unfolded and made into a paper boat. This single paper boat then floated away as a symbol of hope. 

Jihee Min is a Korean-Canadian multidisciplinary artist based in Tkaronto/Toronto. Her practice employs narrative strategies and autobiographical experiences to explore the notion of identity and cultural displacement, in a wide range of media, such as sculpture, installation, performance, video, photography and drawing. 

Min holds MFA from Concordia University (2008) and BFA with Honours from OCAD University (2005). She has received various grants from Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and Toronto Arts Council, as well as, numerous awards and scholarships including the Concordia MFA Studio Arts Award from Concordia University; the Sir Edmund Walker Scholarship and the Carmen Lamanna Scholarship from OCAD University. She has exhibited nationally across Canada and internationally, in the USA, Italy, Finland and Korea. Her work is part of various private and public collections including the city of Toronto (ON), St-Bruno (QC), and Rauma (Finland).

To learn more about Min and her current work, visit her website.

React 2010, curated by Arthur Schwimmer, Jason Baerg and Jennifer Pickering, provided a forum for the many artists who did not get an opportunity to contribute to the 2010 Cultural Olympiad. React2010.com showcased the creative works of artists from the east coast to the west coast of Canada; displaying their art, and their opinions, to the world. Artistic works include painting, performance, photography, poetry, installation, 2 second life performances, 2 original songs, posters, sculpture and video. Participants received national media attention in the Globe and Mail and provincial coverage in the Straight.com, CBC radio and CBC online. Artists engaged in a creative cultural conversation, which reflected diverse cultural values surrounding the Olympics.

The React2010.com project was also presented in the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art and in Vancouver at three artist-run-centre sponsored events during the Olympic games. Nine artists from the react2010.com website had their work displayed in the Alternator’s main gallery. The in-gallery exhibition featured works by Judy Cheung, Liz Solo, Roja Aslani, Jeremy Turner, Christian Nicolay, Chris Bose, Tracy Kim Bondeau, James Masz, and Brian Kent Grotro.

Judy Cheung uses modern technology to enlist methods of media manipulation in the service of cultural portrayal. She studied photography, theatre design / literature, dance, film criticism, video etc... between 1983 - 1987. Received B.F.A. degree in 1987 from the University of Calgary and M.F.A. in 1992 from Pratt Institute. Exhibited widely in various media including fine art photography, video to multimedia installation. Received various awards including Canada Council Media Art Project Grant and Exploration Program. A teacher, a commercial photographer and an active member in the Calgary media arts community, her involvement includes curating media arts exhibitions and tele-video conferences. Served as a board member and programming committee member in several artist-run centres including EMMedia, The New Gallery, CSIF and Stride Gallery. Currently producing an interactive CD-Rom with multiple treading entitled "The Blood Vial" and teaching photography at Humber College in Toronto.

JE (Liz) Solo is a writer, multi-disciplinary performance and media artist, and musician, best known for their work in East Coast music, and as a trailblazer in machinima, hybrid-reality, and live and networked performance art. They create artworks that merge traditional practices (theatre, writing) with technology, (virtual/online/game environments). Recently JE has been exploring creation using quantum computing, and Virtual Reality.

Visit Solo’s website here.

Roja Aslani BA (Psych), BFA, MFA, is a Canadian living between Canada and the United Kingdom. Her practice investigates fan culture, fan souvenirs and commercial nostalgia. Aslani has shown in Berlin, Toronto, Kelowna, Vernon, London, Edinburgh, and Tallinn. She has upcoming exhibitions in Victoria and Kelowna.

You can follow her instagram @rojaaslaniart

Christian Nicolay is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist working between Kelowna and Vancouver BC. His diverse body of work employs a wide range of media and techniques often seeking pathways that intercept traditional ways of working with materials. Part of his artistic strategy is to examine and play in liminal areas that are hard to define, often challenging common perceptions of borders and boundaries in relation to process, materiality and function.

View Nicolay’s website here.

Chris Bose is a writer, multi-disciplinary artist, musician, curator and filmmaker.

He is a founding member of the Arbour Collective, an Aboriginal arts collective based in Kamloops, with a national membership. He is also a workshop facilitator of community arts events, digital storytelling, art workshops with people of all ages and backgrounds, curatorial work for First Nations art shows and projects, research and writing for periodicals across Canada, project management and coordination, music festival producer, mixed-media productions, film, audio and video recording and editing, and more. He is of the Secwepemc and Nlaka’pamux Nation in BC, and currently spends his time in Kamloops BC.

View Bose’s website here.

Tracey Kim Bonneau (syilx) is a veteran award-winning television writer and producer residing on the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Canada. Her most recent industry accolade includes garnering four Leo nominations in 2016 from the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia for her original rich cultural documentary series Quest Out-West Wild Food, airing on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) . In 2018 Tracey was awarded the Aboriginal Business Excellence Award from the Penticton Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to the local economy within the film and television industry.

View Bonneau’s website here.

Brian Gotro’s practice centres on video. Activating qualities of the ephemeral, comedic, social and political, his work has shown in Hong Kong, Russia, Norway, Berlin, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Kelowna. Video distribution information is available at www.vtape.org / www.videoout.ca