(This article is sponsored by Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art.)

For a decade, the Bill Reid Gallery has been the only the only public gallery in Canada devoted to contemporary Indigenous art of the Northwest Coast. To mark 10 years of promoting greater awareness and appreciation of Indigenous values and cultures, the Bill Reid Gallery is set to host a number of free festivities.

After six months of renovations, the celebration kicks off with the reopening party taking place at the downtown Vancouver location on Thursday (June 7) from 6 to 8 p.m. The free event is open to the public and will give attendees a preview of the gallery’s transformation, which Laurie Buckley, the gallery’s marketing specialist, says visitors will notice as soon as they step through the doors.

“It’s a grand entryway with a beautiful, large admissions desk so there’s that sense of welcome and presence, knowing that you’ve arrived at this wonderful gallery,” she says.

The premier exhibit entitled Body Language: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest is led by guest curator Dion Kaszas (Nlaka’pamux) and officially begins on Friday (June 8), when the gallery will be offering free entry for the day. Each of the five featured artists are reclaiming traditional techniques and traditional rights to be tattooed, and building awareness of the significance and protocols around the tattooing traditions.

Visitors on that day (June 8) can also purchase tickets to attend a full-day seminar taking place from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., offered on a sliding scale from $20 - $40 which includes lunch. The Stitching Ourselves Back Together Symposium will explore the history, revival, and contemporary concerns around cultural tattooing. Buckley is also excited to share that there will be live tattooing in the main gallery on Saturday (June 9), from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The gallery is also partnering with the Carnegie Community Centre to present Home Away From Home: The Carnegie Cultural Sharing Program which features the art, photographs, and writing of Downtown Eastside residents. And with thanks to funding from RBC, Samantha Nock (Cree, Métis), the Gallery’s Education Coordinator, is curating the exhibit as part of the Emerging Artists Program.

This exhibit will be on display at in the stunning new Bryan and Audrey Williams Gallery on the mezzanine level, which will feature fully conceptualized, focused exhibitions every quarter.

 “It’s really exciting to be able to showcase more perspective on how Indigenous cultures are celebrated in the city,” says Buckley.

“In addition to the Bryan and Audrey Williams gallery, there is also our new Hummingbird Gathering Space, a more private space to facilitate both education and public programming which will include hands-on workshops artists’ talks,” adds Buckley. “It’s beautiful. The windows are high so there’s lots of daylight, which is really wonderful.”

And as part of the 10^th-anniversary celebrations on June 16 and 17, the gallery is offering free programming so that visitors can enjoy storytelling, art demonstrations, and live performances, as well as an interactive sculpture lead by Musqueam artist Kelsey Sparrow.

The permanent exhibition showcasing Bill Reid’s jewellery and metal works has also had a revamp. The Raven’s Trove now boasts cedar poles similar to those that can be found in Haida houses. Local Haida artist Corey Bulpitt was responsible for adzing the final finish onto the wood creating a beautiful texture on the surface. The poles will then be used as jewellery cases to display Reid’s works.

 “We have these two amazing exhibitions,” says Buckley. “The work is now featured in spaces that never existed before”. “And there’s all this free programming that’s coming in the span of two-weeks, so there are lots of opportunities for people to come and celebrate this transformation, reopening, and milestone with us.”