This week I was lucky enough to be a part of Western Washington University trial program, Alternative Spring Break! The program consisted of a series of free events taking place every day during spring break. Everything was organized and lead by Dr. Natalie Baloy from the Center for Service-Learning, so a big shout-out to her for the excellent work!
Let me tell you now, these events weren't your 3rd grade trip to the local children's museum (although that was fun then too). These activities were designed to focus on engaged learning and building community connection, all while having fun. It worked.
Due to work, I was only able to attend one of the days, but I'm quite certain I chose the best one. We took a day trip up to Vancouver, British Columbia, for a cultural learning experience like none other. With stops in Chinatown, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the History of Vancouver, the day was packed with amazing sights to see.
By far, my favorite was the Vancouver Art Gallery. Specifically an exhibition featuring local artist and Musqueam First Nation member, Susan Point: Spindle Whorl.
While I'm not an artist of any kind (and I'm not a photographer either, so don't hate me too much on the photo quality), I really enjoyed her work and wanted to share with you (in no order) my 11 favorite pieces from the exhibition.
1. "Moon Journey," 2006.
2. "Pacific Wealth," N.D.
3. "Sacred Weave," 2001.
4. "Symbol Of Power (T-Bird II)," 2002.
5. "Four Elements (Earth, Wind, Fire and Water)," 2000.
6. "In The Shadow Of An Eagle," 2000.
7. "Orca Pod,"1997; "Salish Weave," 2014; "Salish Moon," 2016.
8. "Spirit World," 2005.
9. "Family Tree," N.D.
10. "Ravens And Moons," 2001.
11. "Bounty II," 2014.
I highly recommend you head up north and check out her exhibition if you get a chance. What you've seen is just a small fraction of the amazing pieces being displayed right now. It was extremely hard for me to sift through all the photos that were taken and try to find the ones I was able to call, "my favorites".
Aside from her artwork, over at the Muesusm of Vancouver there is a gallery on display about c̓əsnaʔəm, an important ancestral village of the Musqueam First Nation. I can't recommended that enough either. The amount of detail and description that went into making that exhibit is unbelievable.
