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Arts & Communication Reconciled futures

with cultural belongings from their own communities. We
wanted them to know how to ask for access and what to
expect when they receive it.
After lunch, the students were taken by the MOV
staff on transit to the site of the rain garden and bioswale
at 63 Avenue and Yukon Street. There they met with
rd
Green Infrastructure staff, learned about what they do,
and saw potential locations where their artwork could be
installed. They were given an opportunity to express their
preferences, and as they were at the beginning of their
program, they could work toward creating designs that
would fit with the places that they had pre-selected.
On the 2 day of the camp, they began their day in the Figure 3. A young Musqueam artist at work. Museum of Vancouver
nd
conservation laboratory where they were taught object Photo. Copyright (c) 2019. Reprinted with permission of Sharon Fortney.
care and handling by the MOV conservator. This was in
preparation for a second study visit to the collections later
in the week. This session was followed by a drawing lesson
about the Cultural Applications of Formline as Language by
Karen Francis (Figure 3). In the afternoon, Squamish artist
Tawx’sin Yexwulla/Aaron Nelson Moody brought jewelry-
making equipment to their program space and taught them
how to make repoussé copper arrowhead pendants (This
is a very popular workshop that he has offered in other
galleries around the city). During the workshop, Splash
talked to them about the cultural meaning of copper, as
a symbol of wealth to the Coast Salish people. They spent
time introducing themselves, talking about art and culture,
and he sang to them.
On Wednesday morning, the youth toured the Haida Figure 4. A Tsawwassen youth paints a wooden pendant in a workshop
Now exhibition with Lia Hart, a Haida community member offered by Tsleil-Waututh artist Ocean Hyland. Museum of Vancouver
Photo. Copyright (c) 2019. Reprinted with permission of Sharon Fortney.
who was also an auxiliary member of the MOV education
team (She is the daughter of Haida Master Artist Jim Hart, visiting artists was actually related to one of the Musqueam
who had several artworks in the exhibition). youth in the program.
Afterward, I gave them a sneak peek at the installation Thursday morning began with a second tour of the
of the exhibition There is Truth Here: Creativity and collections. This time, the pieces that they had flagged on
Resilience in Children’s Art from Indian Residential and their previous visits were pulled out for study on a table
Day Schools. A Paper-cutting art lesson with Karen Francis (These collection visits were mentioned as a favorite activity
followed. This was an important lesson as it was intended in several of their feedback surveys at the end of the week).
to help them visualize how their designs would be cut to Although these pieces did not inform the work they were
create sculptures. Colored paper was placed underneath to doing with Karen, the process of selecting belongings for
aid in visualization. viewing and having staff place them on tables for the study
On Wednesday afternoon, they were joined by Tsleil- was an important one for teaching them about their rights
Waututh artist Ocean Hyland for a Coast Salish Formline to access their cultural heritage and how to do it. Making
and Painting workshop. Ocean brought paints and the Indigenous collections accessible, both digitally and
wooden pendants for the youth to decorate (Figure 4). in-person, is an important element of the work we do
The youth responded positively to these workshops, which toward reconciliation.
introduced them to a variety of Coast Salish art methods. After this visit, Karen taught them a lesson on Art
Having some emerging artists teach them made the idea Business Practice, and they had sketching practice. In
of art as a profession seem more achievable. Several of the the afternoon, they were joined by Musqueam artist
youth also had artists as family members, and one of the Kelsey Sparrow and Kwantlen artist Atheana Picha, who

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 6 doi: 10.36922/ac.2488