February 14 – March 15, 2025
Not in the Public Interest
Art as Reconciliation | Bringing Light to Systemic Injustices
Artist Talk + Reception: Friday February 14th @ 5pm
The legal principle of ‘public interest’ is best understood by the idea that if you stopped ten people on the street: would the issue matter to them. Would they care? In British Columbia a legal ruling from an investigative documentary on Indigenous deaths in custody established that there is no public interest to be found.
In response, people from around the world have created original art to tell stories of injustice and demonstrate that Indigenous lives matter. That people do care.
“I want to acknowledge the valuable work done by the artists working with the ‘Not In the Public Interest’ project; bringing to light some of the systemic injustices being perpetuated against Indigenous people. I don’t think I’m alone when I say it’s a struggle to survive the ongoing genocide that Indigenous people are continuing to experience since contact. Many of us are focused on healing and survival so inclusive work of this nature -where allies are working humbly to make a positive impact – is an effective act of true reconciliation.” – Billie Pierre, Indigenous writer and activist
Artists involved include:
Francis Salole: Visual Artist/New Zealand, Gary Hutton: Narration/Vancouver, Melvin Yap: Photographer, Editor, Musician/Vancouver, Andrew Balboa: Musician, Narration, Translation/Mexico City, Neil Hunt: Video Artist/Nova Scotia, Tom McKinnon: Visual Artist, Film Maker/Taiwan, Yves Saint Lary: Graphics, Illustration, Design/France, Derek Georgeson: Master Carver/Sechelt, Charles Mulder: MultiMedia Artist/Ontario, Manfred Vijars: Bush Poet, Musician, Narration/Australia, Mariam Zohra D: Singer, Poet, Multi Media Artist, Editor/Vancouver, Michael Stark: Cameraman/Vancouver, Dhanmatie Singh: Visual Artist/Toronto, Kyle Hawke: Editor extraordinaire/Vancouver, Louis-napoleon Valentine: Visual Artist/Vancouver, Maddy Andrews: Textile Artist/Vancouver, Michael David Goodwin: Sculptor, Writer/Vancouver, Javier Nelson: Film Maker/Vancouver, Jillian McClennan: Multi-Media Artist/Vancouver, Sandra Yuen: Visual Artist, Writer/Vancouver, Betty Krawczyk: Narration, Environmental Activist/British Columbia, Elsa Smith: Visual Artist, Jeweller/Vancouver, Dylan Baker: Songwriter, Video Editor/Coquitlam, Craig Kijanowski: Stone Mason, Writer, Sculptor/USA, Amanda Solinas: Writer, Public Relations/Vancouver, Marc Williams: Narration, Actor/Vancouver, Ross Birdwise: Contemporary Composer, Soundscape Designer/Vancouver, Terry La Liberte: Narration/Vancouver, Jessy MacAdams: Miniature artist/British Columbia, Tia Szendrei: Multi Media Artist/Vancouver, Paul Gougeon: Carver/Vancouver. Based on writing by Leonard Cler-Cunningham.
The SCAC would like to thank our generous sponsors who make our ongoing work possible: SCAC Membership, District of Sechelt, BC Arts Council, BC Gaming Commission, SC Community Forest Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, Sunshine Coast Community Foundation, and Sunshine Coast Credit Union.