Confederation arts project will highlight Canada’s national parks
A boat tour through Thousand Islands National Park narrated by two artists. Sculptures that allow visitors at four national parks to listen to the earth. Postcard books examining the themes of migration and belonging.
These pieces and more will be part of LandMarks2017/Repères 2017, a cross-country series of art projects meant to provoke discussion about “our collective histories and shared future” as Canada marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
Project details were revealed during a presentation by project director Helena Grdadolnik at Surrey’s Creative City Summit on Tuesday. Grdadolnik explained to a small group of summit attendees that LandMarks2017 is a year-long initiative that brings together a team of seven curators, 10 artists and 17 universities to create contemporary art projects in a dozen Parks Canada sites, from Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island, to Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, to Vuntut National Park in the northern Yukon.
Curators include David Diviney, Natalia Lebedinskaia, Veronique Leblanc, Ariella Pahlke, Kathleen Ritter, Melinda Spooner and Tania Willard. The chosen artists include indigenous people, francophones and new Canadians. They are Michael Belmore, Rebecca Belmore, Raphaelle de Groot, Maureen Gruben, Ursula Johnson, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Douglas Scholes, Camille Turner and Jin-me Yoon.
In addition to the projects mentioned above, other works include stone carvings, performance pieces, video installations, a social project that aims to bring opposing communities together, beeswax sculptures, artist walks and needlecrafts.
Work is underway and they will be ready for exhibition June 10 to 25. The public will also be able to experience the projects through an interactive digital platform, which should be complete by the end of the year.
The project will cost $4.25 million, which includes a $2-million grant it received from the federal government last week.