Until the 1885 potlatch ban, tattooing and piercing were integral to Northwest Indigenous cultures as a way to mark identity and social status. This premiere exhibition, led by guest curator Dion Kaszas (Nlaka’pamux, Hungarian, Métis), traces the history and meaning of traditional tattooing and piercing practices, and explores their contemporary revival.
BODY LANGUAGE: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest by
Aaron Leonen
BODY LANGUAGE: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest
Where: Bill Reid Gallery (639 Hornby St, Vancouver) When: June 8, 2018 – January 13, 2019
BODY LANGUAGE features five Northwest Indigenous cultural tattoo practitioners: Nakkita Trimble (Nisga’a), Nahaan (Tlingit), Corey Bulpitt (Haida), Dean Hunt (Heiltsuk), and guest curator Dion Kaszas (Nlaka’pamux). Each of these contemporary artists is researching and reclaiming the traditional techniques of their Nations, and building awareness of the significance and protocols around the tattooing traditions.
For millennia, Indigenous tattooing and piercing have been central to ceremony and recognize special life events, potlatches, and social rank within Northwest Indigenous communities. After they were banned, these personal crests were transferred to clothing and jewellery.
BODY LANGUAGE explores designs on skin, and their relationship to traditional clothing, rock art, jewellery, basketry, and weaving. This exhibition will also reveal how these traditions, as they re-emerge, transcend mere decoration to provide healing, protection, and a profound sense of belonging.
The contemporary artists represented in BODY LANGUAGE are at the forefront of the revival of Indigenous tattooing in British Columbia. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to learn the significance of and protocol around tattooing traditions, and explore the rich history and artistry of Indigenous tattooing, piercing and personal adornment on the Northwest coast.
To complement the exhibition, the Bill Reid Gallery is pleased to offer the following public programs:
Stitching Ourselves Back Together Symposium
Friday, June 8, 2018 9:30am to 4:00pm
Join us for a full day symposium exploring the history, revival and contemporary concerns around cultural tattooing. Registration required. Lunch included.
Live Tattooing in the Gallery
Saturday, June 9, 2018 11:00am to 4:00pm
Artists from the exhibition will demonstrate their techniques and chat about their process.
Enter to Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away so you can enjoy this exhibition. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Click below to post an entry on Twitter
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I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. The passes will be available for one-time use during the month of June.
The City of Port Moody will launch a new, summer-time shuttle bus service on Friday, June 1, 2018. Residents and visitors will be able to catch the free Shoreline Shuttle on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between June 1 and September 3, 2018.
Free Port Moody Shoreline Shuttle
Form this morning’s press release:
“The Shoreline Shuttle will connect Inlet Centre, Rocky Point Park, and Moody Centre, stopping near popular destinations like the Recreation Complex, Public Library, Eagle Ridge Hospital, Inlet Park, and the Port Moody Arts Centre,” says Mayor Mike Clay. “It’s also going to help people access our business areas, including Clarke Street, St. Johns Street, Suter Brook Village, Newport Village, and Heritage Mountain Shoppers Village. I encourage our residents to leave their cars at home, and hop on the free Shoreline Shuttle this summer.”
The Port Moody Shoreline Shuttle will be in service from 4:00pm to midnight on Fridays, 1:00pm to midnight on Saturdays, and 1:00pm to 10:00pm on Sundays. The service schedule will be adjusted for holidays (Canada Day, BC Day, Labour Day), and select special events (Golden Spike Days Festival, RibFest, Car-Free Day). The bus will travel in a one-way loop, leaving Rocky Point Park approximately every 30 minutes during operating hours.
Riders can hop on or off the shuttle at the following locations:
#1 Rocky Point Park (2800-block Murray Street)
#2 Kyle Street (St. Johns Street at Kyle Street)
#3 Clarke/Douglas (Clarke Street at Douglas Street)
#4 Moody Street (St. Johns Street at Moody Street)
#5 Williams Street (St. Johns Street at Williams Street)
#6 Buller Street (St. Johns Street at Buller Street)
#7 Moray Street (St. Johns Street at Moray Street)
#8 Suter Brook Way (Ioco Road at Suter Brook Way)
#9 Recreation Complex/Civic Centre (Knowle Street)
#10 Eagle Ridge Hospital (Ungless Way at Newport Drive)
#11 Guildford/Balmoral (Guildford Way at Balmoral Drive)
#12 Klahanie (Murray Street at Klahanie Drive East)
#13 Inlet Park (Murray Street at Electronic Avenue)
The Shoreline Shuttle can carry a maximum of 20 passengers, or 16 plus two passengers in wheelchairs. The new shuttle bus service is a pilot program. City staff will evaluate the program at the end of the summer and prepare a report for Council. View the full schedule and route map online here.
The PNE Summer Night Concerts lineup has been announced, the night markets are open, and the festival schedule is getting full. Summer is almost here and the event lists are just getting better and better. This Friday and Saturday, check out the Surrey International Children’s Festival, proudly sponsored by Miss604, and these things to do in Vancouver this weekend:
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Published in partnership with ZenSeekers. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
Abandoned for centuries, surveyed in 1984, and now open for exclusive tours with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, the ancient capital village site of Kiixin is a remarkable place to behold. Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island near Bamfield, and archeologically mapped in 1984, this national historic site holds millennia of history under a mossy canopy just steps from the ocean.
How To Explore an Ancient Village with Kiixin Tours
Getting here: Follow the Alberni Inlet south on Bamfield Road from Port Alberni to Bamfield for 87km. Terrain: The hike is about 2km each way, starting at a trailhead in a parking lot, heading down into the forest, over boardwalks, and then down a steep embankment to the beach.
This was another amazing adventure I experienced with ZenSeekers. Kiixin is the only known site on the southern coast of British Columbia that contains the undisturbed, standing remains of traditional longhouses of a First Nations’ village.
You can only access the site with a guide from the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, and Kiixin Tours is you all-in-one resource.
I made Port Alberni my home base and traveled to Bamfield for the day to meet up with Stella from Kiixin Tours. Through forest trails and traversing the beaches at low-tide, the hike to the site was already impressive, but once I arrived I was blown away by the standing archeological remains that contained so much history.
Contact the Kiixin Tours office (250-735-3432 or e-mail [email protected]) for directions and to meet up with your guide. Tours run May 19, 2018 to September 28, 2018.
Search #ExplorePortAlberni for more inspiration. Be sure to tag #ExplorePortAlberni while exploring the region as you could be featured on our social media channels!
For 12 years it’s been one of the top free things to do in Vancouver throughout the summer, and Sunday Afternoon Salsa at Robson Square has just released their schedule for 2018.
Sunday Afternoon Salsa at Robson Square
Where: Robson Square rink (dance floor) 800 Robson St, Vancouver When: July 8 to August 26, 2018 drop-in 3:00pm to 9:30pm Admission: FREE to all skill levels
This free community salsa dance event is organized by Jennifer and Stephen Dancey of the Dancey Ballroom and SalsaVancouver.net. The dances happen every Sunday in the summer months of July and August and are run by a team of volunteers from Vancouver’s salsa dance community.
Sunday Afternoon Salsa events start with a free beginner salsa dance lesson at 3:00pm for anyone who has ever wanted to learn how to dance salsa, even those who claim they have two left feet. The lesson lasts for half an hour and is taught by some of Vancouver’s best salsa instructors. Social dancing is then on until 5:00pm.
At 5:00pm there is a dance show featuring performances by some of Vancouver’s more talented dancers.
Stick around for the after party at 7:00pm featuring a different style of music each week (Hustle, West Coast Swing, Kizomba). The after party starts with a free dance lesson at 7:00pm to 7:30pm, followed by dancing until 9:30pm.
