Explore how recycled and discarded materials can be combined and up-cycled into ‘trash art’ treasures, connecting us to land and nature. Afterwards enjoy a self-guided tour of diverse works within MOA’s Multiversity Galleries that are made from recycled materials and speak to our environmental responsibility.

Mark your calendars for the last Sunday of each month for our new family program series—Culture Club at MOA— which focuses on active, participatory learning about diverse cultural perspectives and ways of knowing. This monthly family program features an experiential learning opportunity with storytelling, arts-based activities, and self-guided tours specially designed for young visitors.

Limited supplies; first come, first served.

Elvira DS Montefort is a painter and artist from Mexico City who has achieved recognition as a mural artist. She has been in Canada since 1998, where she raised her two daughters and is now re-emerging as an artist in the community with the time to dedicate to her painting. Elvira recently completed a commission to paint 1 of 12 Salmon sculptures that were displayed throughout the City of Coquitlam for their 100th anniversary. She also completed an artist in residency program with the City of Port Coquitlam, to engage the community in transforming recycled materials into creative new art objects. Some of her painted objects have been shown in galleries as well as outdoors as public art. Elvira believes that her public art pieces raise the awareness of the abundance of cultural ‘trash’ and fosters a deeper appreciation for sustainability, beauty and uniqueness of place through community dialogue and participation.

Dolores Altin is a landscape architect and public artist with a deep appreciation for placemaking and how we experience our public spaces. Since 1998 her career has explored various facets of landscape design, community planning and placemaking. She has extensive background in engaging children and adults through the design process and connecting people to the issues in their community. Dolores is a true collaborator and interested in working with others to create public art as an expression of the relationship between culture and nature and to inspire a deeper appreciation for environmental sustainability and art through participation, dialogue and awareness. Throughout her career, she has often worked alongside artists and has brought environmental artists such as Buster Simpson into Vancouver’s public lecture forum.

CULTURE CLUB IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF UBC CAMPUS + COMMUNITY PLANNING.

In 2019, MOA was thrilled to welcome Indigenous Ainu singers Mayunkiki and Tomoe Yahata for a special Hokkaidō 150 event hosted by the Centre for Japanese Research (CJR) at UBC and MOA. The Ainu peoples are Indigenous to Hokkaidō of Japan and the Sakhalin and Kuril Islands of Russia.

In this follow up event, Dr. Uzawa will explore Ainu performing arts, through discussion and performance, as an important element of Indigenous knowledge. Dr. Kanako Uzawa is an Ainu scholar, advocate and artist. She will be participating in the Intercultural Indigenous Choreographer Creation lab at the Banff Centre this July. She is also a participating artist in the A Soul in Everything: Encounters with Ainu from the North of Japan exhibition at the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum in Cologne, Germany and is currently involved with planning the upcoming Ainu exhibition at the University of Michigan Museum of Art as a guest curator.

She is a multilingual cultural scholar who speaks Japanese, English, Norwegian, and limited Ainu and has lived in six different countries. She obtained her doctorate from the Arctic University of Norway in 2020, and is the founder of Ainu Today.

Presented by Centre for Japanese Research + Museum of Anthropology at UBC and SFU’s David Lam Centre.

The event is made possible through the generous financial support of the David Lam Centre, School for the Contemporary Arts, the Institute for Performance Studies, and the Global Asia Program at Simon Fraser University; the Centre for Japanese Research, and the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia.

Please note: the event is free, but does not include access to the Museum, which will be closed during the event. Registration is not required, but capacity in the Haida House is limited so we suggest arriving early to avoid disappointment.

Photo by Mats Gingvik

Zines are self-published works using diverse media, including text, drawing, collaging and more. During this workshop the NYP team will share examples of their own zines and describe how they, as Indigenous youth, connect to the art presented in MOA’s feature exhibition, Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers / Soñadores + creadores del cambio. Participants will create their own zines exploring identity and activism taking inspiration from works in the exhibition.

Mark your calendars for the last Sunday of each month for our new family program series—Culture Club at MOA— which focuses on active, participatory learning about diverse cultural perspectives and ways of knowing.

This workshop is designed for youth, but all are welcome to join. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Limited supplies; first come, first served.

CULTURE CLUB IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF UBC CAMPUS + COMMUNITY PLANNING.

The evening will begin in MOA’s feature exhibition, Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers / Soñadores + creadores del cambio, where poet Angelic Goldsky [t(he?)y] will invite attendees to contribute offerings of words and incantations to a collective poetic altar. Once complete, Angelic will lead a poetry cypher—a collaborative, dynamic process of poetry-making—accompanied by Anjalica Solomon and Chantal Gering. Following the cypher, Angelic will lead a procession outside to MOA’s grounds for a magical performance, offering of poetry and releasing exercise. DJ Sissy Fuzz will close the evening with a dance party in the Haida House.

Bios 

Angelic Goldsky [t(he?)y] is a poet and a queer community arts lover. They are the Poet-in-Residence at the Roundhouse Community Art Centre, and love facilitating and finding ancient words which rebel against form, and birth new timelines. They are the Creative Director and Founder of the Transgender Expressions Haven– an organization devoted to celebrating transgender creative genius through interactive, media and multi-dimensional art.

Anjalica Solomon is a genderfluid Desi poet, spoken word artist, organiser and multi-disciplinary performer based in what is colonially known as Vancouver, BC on the stolen and unsurrendered territories of the Coast Salish, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam Nations. Their poetic work often seeks to proclaim the possibilities of love and resilience.

DJ Sissy Fuss (he/him) is a queer trans POC bringing the sounds of house, techno and the queerest of music. When Sissy Fuss started mixing for queer and trans underground art scenes in Chicago in 2007 he found euphoria in playing for the QTBIPOC community. Craving the energy of community recharge over the years, he has a seasoned eclectic style buzzing with joy and full-bodied queer bliss. He has DJed in Toronto, New York and Vancouver for happy queers and their admirers. Join Sissy Fuss live with Angelic for a tarot inspired 3 part DJ/poetry ritual in the Haida House

Presented in conjunction with MOA’s feature exhibition Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers / Soñadores + creadores del cambio, Jorge Amigo, Head of Cultural Programming at Vancouver Public Library will facilitate an engaging dialogue and discussion of two short stories by Xicanx writers. This event is open to anyone interested in short stories written by Latin American authors.

The stories are in English translations, and the discussion will also be led in English. No background in Latin American literature or culture is required. You will receive a link to access the stories before the event.

Please note this event is free, but registration is required in advance and does not not include museum admission.

Please reserve your spot with a free registration.

This reading group session is presented in partnership with the Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre (VLACC) and UBC’s Latin American Studies program.

Knowledge Within: Treasures of the Northwest Coast—edited by Caitlin Gordon-Walker and curated by Pam Brown, Jisgang Nika Collison, Anthony Alan Shelton and Jodi Simkin—looks into 17 of the numerous sites in the Pacific Northwest region with major collections of Northwest Coast Indigenous material culture, bringing attention to a wide range of approaches to caring for and exhibiting such treasures. Each chapter is written by one or more people who work or worked in the organization they write about. Each author takes a different approach to the invitation to reflect upon their institution: some narrate a history of the institution, some focus on particular pieces in the collection, and some consider the significance of the work currently being done for the present and future.

The book launch will feature editor Caitlin Gordon-Walker in conversation with the volume’s curators and other contributors, sharing an overview of the book as well as their reflections on the project.

Online via Zoom; Free, registration required.
Copies of the book are available for purchase in person or online from the MOA Shop.

Speakers

Caitlin Gordon-Walker is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work explores the politics of museums and other forms of public cultural representation in relation to nationalism, colonialism and difference, with a focus on the representation of difficult and contested histories.

Jisgang Nika Collison belongs to the Ḵaay’ahl Laanas of the Haida Nation. She is Executive Director and Curator of the Haida Gwaii Museum at Ḵay Llnagaay and has worked in the field of Haida language arts and culture for over two decades. Deeply committed to reconciliation, she is a senior repatriation negotiator for her Nation, pursuing reparation and relationships with mainstream museums on a global scale.

Jodi Simkin began her work in the culture and heritage sector more than thirty years ago through an undergraduate co-op placement at the Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park located on the Kamloops Indian Reserve in central BC. Since then, she has devoted her professional life to issues of social justice as both an archeologist and museum professional.

Anthony Alan Shelton is Professor of Art History, Visual Arts and Theory and former Director of the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia. His numerous publications include Museums and Changing Perspectives of Culture (1995), Fetishism: Visualizing Power and Desire (1995), Collectors (two volumes, 2001), and Heaven, Hell and Somewhere in Between: Portuguese Popular Art (2015). He has curated fourteen exhibitions in Canada, Europe and the UK.

This month we invite families to learn about Indigenous cedar bark weaving. Work with Sesemiya Tracy Williams, a multi-talented artist, educator and language advocate from the Squamish Nation. Afterwards enjoy a self-guided tour of the Coast Salish basketry collection in MOA’s Multiversity Galleries and see work created by Tracy’s grandmother, Eva May Nahanee.

This monthly family program features an experiential learning opportunity with storytelling, arts-based activities, and self-guided tours specially designed for young visitors. Families will have the chance to connect with and learn from MOA’s diverse collections and exhibitions. Culture Club focuses on active, participatory learning about diverse cultural perspectives and ways of knowing.

Limited supplies; first come, first serve.

Sesemiya Tracy Williams comes from a long line of cedar weavers. Her curiosity and experimentation of natural materials and traditional methods has resulted in pieces that display a revitalization of the Squamish weaving practice. Tracy is also the manager of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation Language and Cultural Affairs Department.

Culture Club at MOA is made possible by the generous support of UBC Campus & Community Planning

Both a master carver and archeologist field assistant, Richard will share his knowledge about traditional carving techniques as well as the cultural significance of salmon, including how it is used and prepared for ceremonial purposes. There will also be a screening of the short video documenting the Reconciliation Pole: Bronze Disc Base project which is a collaborative effort led by Richard and two other artists. This video was created by the UBC Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory which hosted to artists in the Audain Art Centre last spring.

Richard Campbell comes from a long line of carvers, all of whom have influenced his style and has been carving for over 40 years in modern contemporary and Coast Salish style. He works with various woods, but mainly uses yellow cedar for the plaques he carves. He has worked as an archaeologist field assistant with the Musqueam Indian Band for over 20 years. Both occupations help him to ensure his culture lives on for future generations to come.

Presented in collaboration with the Belkin Art Gallery

Join us for shared stories of listening and learning in recognition of the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory that the Museum is located on. These short films honour Musqueam’s presence and stewardship of this land since time immemorial.

The films will run on a loop throughout the day:

Musqueam Elder Larry Grant’s Welcome Message (1m 55s)

Musqueam Through Time  (2010, 18 mins)offers an overview of Musqueam history, traditions and contemporary community.

In Writing the Land,  (2007, 8 mins) Larry Grant discusses his journey toward speaking hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ that began again in 1998 with his enrolment in the First Nations Languages Program at UBC.

Weaving the Path (2021, 13 mins) documents artist Debra Sparrow’s mural series Blanketing the City, and explores her role in reviving Coast Salish weaving and its meaning in Coast Salish communities.

Reconciliation Pole: Bronze Disc Base (2022, 4 mins) details the project collaboration between Richard Campbell (Musqueam), 7idansuu James Hart (Haida) and Max Chickite (Lekwiltok), who have been working to create a monumental bronze disc for the base of Hart’s Reconciliation Pole. Richard Campbell will be at MOA for a special Artist Talk on June 23.

Presented in collaboration with the Belkin Art Gallery

Lucy and the Haida Repatriation Committee have returned over 500 of their Kuniisii’s—their Ancestors’—remains from many global museums. In her more than 30 years working with museums, Lucy has seen museums struggle to repatriate and make things right. In this talk she will share the Haida ethical decisions and actions that led to successful repatriations and the ethical issues museums must face in this path to reconciliation.

This is a hybrid event that will take place in-person and online:
In-person attendance does not require registration (and does not include museum admission).
Online attendance requires registration—registration link below.

Bio

Lucy Bell, Sdaahl K’awaas, is a passionate Haida museologist, language revitalizer and Haida nerd with a passion for learning from her Ancestors. She is currently a SFU PhD Candidate focusing on Haida museology. With her at the helm, the Haida have repatriated over 500 ancestral remains, many language resources and some belongings from global museums. Lucy received a BC Community Achievement Award for her work in repatriation.

Lucy was the inaugural Head of the Indigenous Collections and Repatriation Department at the Royal BC Museum. She co-wrote the Indigenous Repatriation Handbook as well as led her team to change policy, care for Ancestral remains in a better way and repatriate tangible and intangible heritage. In her farewell speech, she also graciously called out the museum for racism, launching an investigation and internal work to address the problem. She received the Sterling Prize for Controversy for her actions.