Written by Anning
A quiet artistic corner in bustling downtown Vancouver is surrounded by towering office buildings. It is even the shortest building among them. But that doesn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those who come here to explore it. Even on weekdays, you can always see a steady stream of people coming here. It is the Bill Reid Gallery, a famous cultural institution in Vancouver. It is dedicated to promoting the rich artistic traditions of the Northwest Coast to the public and fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of contemporary Indigenous art. The gallery is named after Indigenous artist Bill Reid and displays his representative works permanently. In addition to the permanent collection, the gallery hosts rotating exhibitions of Indigenous art on various themes, providing visitors with an evolving experience.
We visited this fantastic gallery last week. It resembles a chapel in appearance. The white facade and triangular roof make it stand out in the concrete jungle. The interior space of the gallery is divided into two floors. The room on the first floor mainly displays sculptures, jewelry, clothing, and design works of Indigenous art. The second floor showcases paintings and multimedia works. We started our art tour with great expectations.
Our tour of the gallery was led by Indigenous education specialist Sara Louie. She is a living member of the Musqueam, for whom her mother’s paternal father is a descendant of the “people of the river grass.” She gave us a lively and detailed introduction to the culture and creativity of each piece of representative work. For me, the most impressive artwork was Reid’s gold and silver jewellery. l was amazed by the delicacy and artistic expression of these jewels. I could feel the identity symbols and strong symbolic statements that the artist conveyed in these works. In addition, I was also impressed by the sculptures with Indigenous totems placed in different locations in the gallery. I have seen various types of totem poles in other cities in Canada, but I never understood the meaning of these mysterious patterns. This tour allowed me to observe these fascinating traditional patterns and hear their legends. Meanwhile, we also saw a series of new media works on the theme of Indigenous art. These works tell the audience about Indigenous culture through the most famous narratives in contemporary art.
My experience on this tour inspired me to become more interested in Indigenous art. These mysterious, ancient, delicate, and powerful patterns gave me a deeper and more multidimensional understanding of the ancestors who lived on this land. In addition, I also saw people’s reflection and respect for the history and their efforts to pass on these cultures. Only by respecting history can we usher in a better future.