Northwest Coast artists are pushing art forward with the True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel exhibition

June 16, 2022 Nataliya Radke Arts, Travel, Vancouver Tourism, Visual Arts

The newest exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art is now open until March 23, 2023! True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel features 10 Northwest Coast Indigenous artists and their paintings, sculptures, weaving, and digital creations that speak to themes of moving forward with tradition in mind. 

Luke Parnell, The Drums Are Calling, 2021. Arylic on canvas. Courtesy of Murray Paterson Marketing Group.
Luke Parnell, The Drums Are Calling, 2021. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of Murray Paterson Marketing Group.

True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel

When: June 15, 2022 – March 19, 2023
Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art (639 Horny Street, Vancouver)

Carrielyn Victor, the curator of True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel, shares that “This exhibition offers a compelling perspective into the artistic process of many Indigenous painters from across the Northwest Coast.” An artist and muralist herself, Victor’s art combines her traditional Coast Salish background and techniques with modern tools and mediums, an expression of her heritage and who she is today. Victor encourages visitors to “…explore new approaches, ideas, and innovations in painting that are place-based and story-rich.”

Carrielyn Victor is Eastern Fraser Valley artist and curator of Carrielyn Victor is Eastern Fraser Valley artist and curator of Carrielyn Victor is Eastern Fraser Valley artist and curator of True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel. You can find more of her work and creative visions here. Photo by Mavreen David. Courtesy of Murray Patterson Marketing Group.
Carrielyn Victor is an Eastern Fraser Valley artist as well as the curator of True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel. You can find more of her work on her website. Photo by Mavreen David. Courtesy of Murray Patterson Marketing Group.
Completed at the Vancouver Mural Festival in 2020, this mural features a swan gliding on top of water before it takes flight. The geometric shapes are found in traditional Salish woven patterns, Victor shares on her website.
Completed at the Vancouver Mural Festival in 2020, this mural features a swan gliding on top of water before it takes flight. The geometric shapes are found in traditional Salish woven patterns, Victor says on her website.

The subtitle, stímetstexw tel xéltel, is translated as “Keeping the pencil moving forward”, in Upriver Stahlo, Halq’emeylemqel dialect. It was chosen with assistance from artist and language keeper, Thomas Jones, because it embodies the exhibition’s theme of honouring Indigenous art, cultures, and traditions while expanding artistic boundaries and moving forward. 

Contributing artists at True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel include Atheana Picha, Corey Bullpitt, Crystal Worl, Eliot White-Hill, Luke Parnell, Ocean Hyland, Robert Davidson, Shawn Hunt, Steve Smith, and Thomas Jones. There are also a variety of events such as artist talks and workshops that are open to the public. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the exhibition and the artists but also Indigenous values, cultures, and art, too. 

Corey Bulpitt, Raven Who Kept Walking, 2021. Acrylic on New York Subway map.
Corey Bulpitt, Raven Who Kept Walking, 2021. Acrylic on New York Subway map.

For more information, including where to get your tickets and the exhibition’s accompanying events, click here. If you’re interested in similar art events in Vancouver, be sure to check out our review of the Museum of Anthropology’s newest exhibit, Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers / Soñadores + creadores del cambio.