Modern Legends

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"Protecting Our Sacred Land" nd

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 9 – 2-4pm (free)

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm

Location: The ACT Art Gallery, (inside The ACT Arts Centre)11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, BC, V2X 6G1

Artist Talk: Stó:lō artist Carrielynn Victor will give a talk on her art and how it intersects with her culture and appreciation of the natural world. Saturday, Sept 23 at 1pm at The ACT Art Gallery. This is a free event.

Modern Legends, features four young First Nations artists, all of whom successfully combine traditional stories and symbols in a fresh, contemporary context. Demonstrating a broad range of styles and attributes, artists Sonny Assu, Brandon Gabriel, Corey Moraes and Carrielynn Victor all uncover the ancestral stories and symbols of their heritage embedded in modern themes that include pop culture, protest, humour and occasionally tragedy and loss. The result is a vibrant and intriguing collection of visual stories that reach far beyond the 150-year marker widely acknowledged as the birthdate of Canada.

“When I first began conceptualizing this exhibition,” says curator, Barbara Duncan, I realized that I needed some direction and input from a local First Nations artist. Fortunately, I was able connect with Kwantlen artist and cultural leader, Brandon Gabriel who worked with me to develop the central ideas for the show, and also suggested several young artists whose work resonated with Modern Legends theme.” 

Sonny Assu has gained acclaim both within Canada and internationally as one of the first Indigenous artists, to entwine traditional Indigenous symbols and references around the mass appeal of pop culture. Carrielynn Victor’s recent work embeds recognizable Coast Salish symbols and characters within a colour field of luminous intensity. Corey Moraes, an artist already well versed in the traditional discipline of classic Northwest Coast art, introduces us to his cast of Super Heroes whose earthly swagger betrays authentic characters from the mythic world for the Northwest Coast. Corey is currently working with students from the LaSalle College Vancouver to create a short animated film featuring Northwest Coast mythological creatures. Brandon Gabriel’s bold, gestural style expresses urgency in his concern for the survival and re-emergence of traditional ideologies connected to land language and the environment. 

The impact of these four artists sharing the space is dazzling and provocative, and will hopefully stimulate fresh thinking and conversation around the vibrancy of our Indigenous cultures. 

Canada 150 celebration activities are taking place throughout this year.  We acknowledge the generous support in part by the Government of Canada and our community partners in these activities – the City of Maple Ridge through its Public Art Steering Committee and Parks, 

Recreation & Culture, The ACT Arts Centre, the Community Heritage Commission and the Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows News.