ARBOUR ABORIGINAL ARTISTS COLLECTIVE

2016

Oct 29

RIVERSIDE PARK

plúk̓wem (gather) is a collaborative public art project designed and created by participants in the Arbour Aboriginal Artists Collective Youth Workshops, led by Chris Bose (Nlaka’pamux /Secwepemc) and supported by the Kamloops Art Gallery.

Over the course of many months, local youth worked with Chris Bose during Arbour Aboriginal Artists Collective Youth Workshops to design and create the large-scale mural. Since January 2014, the Gallery has worked collaboratively with Arbour Aboriginal Artists Collective, offering creative youth workshops. The workshops and events are led by local artist Chris Bose with support from one of the Gallery’s art instructors. Scheduled on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, the workshops encourage youth of all nationalities to drop in and create independent and collaborative art works. Often a potluck meal is included as a means of fostering community. Plúk̓wem (gather) draws on the strength of this existing program through a new collaborative project for Arbour participants and Teen Interns.

Using techniques including screen-printing, wheat pasting and painting, the mural was created in sections on plywood and installed in Riverside Park in such a way that it functions (as the project name would suggest) to gather audience members to contemplate the importance of salmon to local First Nations communities.

This project is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.