The work of Syilx artists will be on display in Lake Country, representing the Winfield area and offering learning opportunities about traditional and contemporary Indigenous art practices.
The art exhibition, Atklokem, will be held at the Lake Country Art Gallery from August 16 to September 29.
“It’s perhaps a form of reconcilliation,” Vernon artist and exhibit curator David Wilson said. “We are introducing the name for Winfield—it’ll be an informal introduction.”
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The exhibit will feature Syilx artists Barb Marchand, Sheldon Louis, Mariel Belanger and the Okanagan Indian Band Youth Group, with supporting guest curator David Wilson.
Atklokem is the anglicized Syilx word to describe the area of Winfield.
“My art is very deeply rooted in our oral stories,” Louis said, Indigenous artist and councillor for the Okanagan Indian Band.
Louis said his ancestral roots are connected with the hereditary salmon chief and because of this, he explores his personal heritage through art.
“(The art) is advocating for the salmon and for the water,” he said, noting that large corporations infringe on Indigenous rights by polluting waterways.
The opening reception for Atklokem is Thursday, August 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lake Country Art Gallery.
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David Venn
Reporter, Kelowna Capital News
Email me at david.venn@kelownacapnews.com
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