Whistler’s Vivid Winter Art Scene
Winter is knocking on our doors, and the first snowflakes will bring a new series of arts and cultural events to inspire and excite you in Whistler. The iconic Audain Art Museum is hosting Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection, organized by the American Federation of Arts, from now until January 28, 2019. This collection is being shown in Canada for the first time, and includes a selection of distinguished contemporary art pieces by Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander artists. The exhibit celebrates, honours, and explores the emotions and events that marked a pivotal time for Australian Aboriginal people in the late 1960s, when the need to tell their stories and establish their cultural identity sparked an artistic renaissance. The show is not just paintings on canvases; you’ll see paintings on eucalyptus bark, along with some remarkable stoneware and woven sculptures—all of which tell a story that reflects the Aboriginal people’s unique perception of the land, water and fauna. Also in the collection is artwork consisting of landscapes without horizon lines, still life devoted to bush agriculture, and portraits of ancestral beings. Tommy Mitchell’s Walu consists of vivid tornado lines that depict the story of a naughty nephew who stole food, denied it, and was turned into the wind. The minute dots that create the lines reflect the dissolving fate of the young boy. The museum offers free Family Studio Sundays with admissions every Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m., where families can try a variety of art-making activities inspired by works in the permanent collection. And, if you arrive later in the day on Fridays, you can still explore the exhibits because the museum is now open until 9 p.m. on Friday nights. Planning your trip to the Audain Art Museum and seeing a full listing of Whistler arts and cultural events is simple at whistler.com, and now is an ideal time to capitalize on midweek savings and early season deals.