Sandy Buck, a Métis artist and co-founder of Deer Crossing The Art Farm:
The energy that guides this show is Abundance! For myself, it is about how we receive and give away. As a Métis Settler to these lands, I did not grow up experiencing the Potlatch, but I had the fortune of understanding nature through my grandparents. I am a product of the teachings that nature is not something you look at from a far, it is a part of you; we vibrate in it. I have learned to use my hands to create from a spark of inspiration. What influences my work is the abundance of things readily available to us which our society uses and then disregards. I learned from my Nana that nothing is ever finished, it is only in a temporary state.
I have been so fortunate to co-curate this show alongside artist and storyteller, Candace Campo. We have been building from the memories of the elders whose images are preserved in photos, alongside the paintings and sculpted fibres; the elder hosts who sit in the four directions. This show was created from the mist of the imagination and stayed in the air until it was time to take form inside the GPAG. We are honoured to be working in collaboration with artists who witness this transformation and bring forward their artform to help tell the story of how we prepare for such an incredible and spiritual event. Take time to witness and enjoy the journey.
?ul-nu-mulh-chalap (we thank you)
Check out our YouTube channel for a video of this exhibition.