A private collection of contemporary Coast Salish art is on display in Maple Ridge.
There are 20 artists who have combined their work into the Salish Weave Collection, based on the traditional Salish art form.
The collection was started in the year 2000, when George and Christiane purchased the first Coast Salish piece. Soon they decided they wanted to promote awareness of Coast Salish art, in addition to supporting the artists who were reviving it, so they focussed on collection pieces in the traditional Coast Salish style.
Now there are more than 400 contemporary works in the collection, specifically sculptural works and paintings. Silkscreen prints, or serigraphs, number in the thousands – a total of about 2,400 prints with some 300 different designs.
Each artist in the collection has drawn upon traditions and stories of their culture, and have challenged the boundaries of Salish art through the exploration of modern media and techniques.
All 20 artists have their own unique style, and they all live and work in traditional Coast Salish territories, on the Pacific southwest coast of British Columbia and the northwest coast of the United States.
The exhibit is being put on by the City of Maple Ridge, in partnership with c̓əsqənelə Elementary School and School District #42 Indigenous Education for BC Culture Days.
The Salish Weave Exhibit runs until Friday, Oct. 18, at the Albion Community Centre at 24165 104 Ave., Maple Ridge.
