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Katzie artist hoping to do reconciliation through artwork

Foundry Ridge Meadows mural competition deadline will be Oct. 15
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Artist Rain Pierre (centre), with his Rain Awakens team. (Rain Pierre/Special to The News)

A zoom session earlier this week, has set the ball rolling on the Foundry Ridge Meadows mural competition and opportunity to work with local artist Rain Pierre.

Earlier this month, the Foundry invited youth between the ages of 12 to 24 years old to participate in an opportunity to gain working experience with Pierre. The collaborative project would involve youth participation in an art competition and the creation of the final mural. In a Zoom information session with Pierre held on Sept. 15, six participants attended to understand what the competition would be about. This format is part of Pierre’s “Rain Awakens Legacy Projects”.

“We begin with an information session to discuss how the competition will play out. Typically there is a timeline discussed and what the competition details are. This whole process allows new blossoming aspiring artists to see what an art competition entails. It is a chance to launch an art portfolio for a new artist, something I wish I had growing up. Each applicant creates an art piece and the school/community votes on which art pieces make it to the finals,” he said.

Pierre then takes the final art pieces and decides who the winner would be. The artwork is then integrated with Pierre’s artwork and his team at his company, Rain Awakens, then creates a hybrid art piece.

“The winner gets to collaborate with myself and create an art piece that will leave their legacy behind. Their art portfolio has begun,” he said, adding that the mural is then vinyl printed and installed by AMPCO Graphics.

Earlier this year, the Foundry Ridge Meadows was selected by the BC Summer Games 2020 Legacy Fund committee for a grant of $18,000. This grant was given to create an opportunity to work with Rain Pierre, an artist from Katzie First Nation, known for his Indigenous creations and inspiring work with students from SD 42.

ALSO READ: Community Services to give youth chance to paint alongside Katzie artist Rain Pierre

“Foundry is a place to help youth in finding themselves in whatever capacity they need. It is a place to call home. I have a chance to make the space feel even more welcoming. So we decided to take the route of a mural,” he said.

“We are doing this at Foundry to help launch a possible art portfolio for a young person and also shake the community up with something fun, amidst all the crazy times we are in. This is a fun and exciting way to bring our youth together.”

The deadline for submissions is Oct. 15 at 4 p.m.

“This is me doing reconciliation in my own way,” said Pierre, “This is allowing us as indigenous people to show who we truly are without being afraid anymore. We are now stepping into a realm where we can be brave and stand up for what we believe in. Artwork has paved a way for me to have a voice and make a statement with my craft. I am going to share our story of what really happened, but I’m going to do it in my own way using artwork to show our beauty and change the world. And it begins with projects such as this.”

ALSO READ: 5 years in the making: Mental health app for youth and children launches in B.C.


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Priyanka Ketkar

About the Author: Priyanka Ketkar

Priyanka Ketkar has been a journalist since 2011 with extensive experience in community-driven news writing, feature writing, and editing.
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