The exhibition presently showing at the Kootenay Gallery includes a selection of indigenous artwork from the personal collections of faculty and staff who work at Selkirk College.
This exhibition is the result of collaboration between the aboriginal advisor to Selkirk College, Marilyn James and the Kootenay Gallery.
James recognizes the importance of art as a common thread that ties communities and cultures together and as a result asked Those who make up the community of Selkirk College to contribute pieces of art that reflected the culture of the various places they had traveled to.
Several items are accompanied by a story about their significance and how the individuals came to acquire them, either as a highly prized gift or simply because of their artistic appeal.
Many pieces in the exhibition are functional, the bark loin cloth worn by the Pygmies of the Congo, a basket from Indonesia and the finely woven shawl from Ecuador, while others are simply decorative and tell a story of ancestry, spiritual practice or a connection to the earth.
Ultimately art has a way of connecting all cultures with a common expression of beauty. Cultural Paths is designed to function as a catalyst for increasing audience awareness and understanding about the diverse cultures of the world.
During the months of June and July the gallery gift shop has been expanded into the larger exhibition space. This provides a wonderful opportunity to bring summer visitors and show them what this gallery has to offer; a gift shop brimming with items created by regional artists and artisans, two exhibition galleries, a butterfly and xeriscape sculpture garden with a working sundial all overlooking the Columbia River below.
The Kootenay Gallery is located across from the Castlegar Airport adjacent to the Doukhobor Discovery Centre on Heritage Way and is now open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information visit our website at www.kootenaygallery.com.
/Submitted by Kootenay Gallery