Skeena Resources to support educational trip to the opening of Wolves: The Art of Dempsey Bob for young aspiring artists from the Tahltan Nation
WHISTLER, BC, March 31, 2022 /CNW/ - The Audain Art Museum (AAM) is thrilled to announce a partnership with Skeena Resources Limited (Skeena), the Dease Lake School, and the Tahltan School that will bring high school students from Tahltan Territory in Northwest BC to Whistler for the opening of Wolves: The Art of Dempsey Bob. Wolves is the first-ever retrospective of this brilliant carver's career from the 1970s to the present, and will be on display from April 2 to August 14, 2022.
Skeena, a supporting sponsor of this important exhibition, is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and to delivering value and prosperity to the Company's First Nation partners and surrounding communities. It is Skeena's priority to support community education, arts, culture, and wellness, as well as build economic, social and cultural capacity in the communities in which the Company operates. Skeena is extremely excited to be collaborating with the Dease Lake School, the Tahltan School and the AAM to bring Tahltan students, who are passionate about art, to Whistler for the opening of Wolves: The Art of Dempsey Bob.
As a young man living in Prince Rupert, Dempsey Bob had the opportunity to enroll in an impactful carving class taught by influential carver, teacher and mentor, Freda Diesing, who Bob described as "a key person in the revival of mainland carving." Bob would continue his education at the Gitanmaax School of Art in Hazelton in 1972 and again in 1974, as he became determined to pursue an artistic career. In the late 1970s and through the 1980s, the aspiring carver would spend time studying old Tlingit poles and masks, as well as teaching and making art in Ketchikan, Hoonah, Sitka and Metlakatla, Alaska. Currently, Dempsey Bob lives and works in Terrace, BC and is highly regarded in his sharing of the Northwest Coast carving tradition. Through this student visit to the AAM, youth from the Tahltan Nation will be presented with the unique opportunity to intimately experience over 100 works of art by Dempsey Bob and learn first-hand from such an inspiring master carver.
Freda Campbell, Skeena's Community Relations Manager, commented "I am very passionate about building capacity within my Nation and with Tahltan Youth. Skeena shares my passion and is committed to supporting Tahltan education, art, culture and athletic initiatives. These young aspiring Tahltan artists are leaving a remote part of Northwest BC and travelling to Whistler to meet and interact with Dempsey Bob, a world-renowned Tlingit/Tahltan artist. This opportunity will empower the students as Tahltan artists and encourage them to dream big. This initiative is an example of the kind of legacy a resource development company can leave in the Territory of the Indigenous peoples they work in."
Wolves is co-produced by the Audain Art Museum and McMichael Canadian Art Collection and will feature a chronological selection of masks, panels, sculptures, jewellery and regalia created by Dempsey Bob over the course of his prolific career. The Exhibition was made possible by the support of Presenting Sponsor RBC, Major Sponsor Brian & Andrea Hill, Government Partner Canada Council for the Arts, Supporting Sponsors Shell Canada, Skeena Resources and SAM Foundation, Exclusive Transportation Provider PACART, Hotel Partner Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Wine Selection Sponsor Tantalus Vineyards.
The Audain Art Museum is grateful to be on the shared, unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and Lil̓wat7úl (Lil'wat) Nation. Established in 2016, the Museum was founded via a major philanthropic gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa. The Permanent Collection is focused on the art of British Columbia, exemplifying the richness of cultural difference in Canada. Highlights include hereditary Haida Chief James Hart's The Dance Screen, an exceptional collection of historical and contemporary Indigenous art, a comprehensive selection of paintings by Emily Carr and a brilliant range of works by Vancouver's photo-conceptualists. The Museum hosts three temporary exhibitions per year that feature artists and collections of national as well as international significance.
Skeena is a Canadian mining exploration company focused on revitalizing the past producing Eskay Creek Mine in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Prefeasibility Study for Eskay Creek in July 2021 and is currently advancing the project to a full Feasibility Study in 2022. Skeena is committed to the principles of UNDRIP and working collaboratively with local Indigenous Nations and local communities. The Company is particularly proud of their Tahltan mentorship program that launched in 2020 and of their partnership with the Tahltan Nation, BC Provincial Government and NGOs in the creation of the 3,526-hectare Tenh Dẕetle Conservancy.
SOURCE Audain Art Museum
Media Interviews: Dr. Curtis Collins, Director & Chief Curator, M: 604.902.4527, E. [email protected]; Press Kit and Hi-Res Images: E: [email protected]
Share this article