Opening reception and performance - Skeena Reece: TOUCH ME

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Skeena Reece, "The Time It Takes, (detail)" 2015-2017

fabric, cedar, moss, 3' x8'. Photo courtesy Karen Asher and Plug In ICA

Opening reception and performance Friday, April 6, 7pm

Artist talk and MAKE ART WORKSHOP Saturday, April 7, 11am

Touch Me is a solo exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Skeena Reece. Elements of the body of work developed over many years include drawings, paintings, installation, video, an on-site mural, performance and collaborative practice. Reece, who is of Cree, Tsimshian, Gitksan, and Métis descent, describes her work through writings on display at the gallery. 

The artist’s words provide insight into her exhibition:

Defiantly my work resists the loss of our true history of contact, but it also nods to the accountability that we must have in order to go forward in this society.

My response to this painful history is to share the continued ability to show reverence, respect, care and love. Not despite our colonial history, but as a continuation of this strength that has been passed on since time immemorial. Speaking to my people I am saying that these abilities are not lost on me. Speaking to others I am saying this is ‘our’ resilience.

– Skeena Reece

CVAG is honoured to host TOUCH ME, a collection of work by multi-disciplinary artist Skeena Reece. Skeena, a Tsimshian/Gitksan and Cree artist based on the West Coast of British Columbia, has garnered national and international attention most notably for Raven: On the Colonial Fleet (2010), her bold installation and performance work presented at the 2010 Sydney Biennale as part of the celebrated group exhibition Beat Nation. Skeena was the recipient of the British Columbia Award for Excellence in the Arts (2012), The Viva Award (2014) and the Hnyatshyn Award in 2017.

Touch Me is a solo exhibition of work from 2004 to present. The title is from the video Touch Mereleased in 2013 for the Witnesses: Art from Canada’s Residential Schools show at the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery. This is one of the seven pieces on display at the Comox Valley Art Gallery April 6 – May 12, 2018. This exhibition features the works of other artist contributors including Sandra Semchuk, Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Collin Elder, and Gord Hill. Most of the works have travelled together from Montreal (Oboro Gallery 2017) to Winnipeg (Plug In-Institute of Contemporary Art 2018) and now, here at CVAG.