April 23 – May 23, 2021
The Sunshine Coast Arts Council is proud to present a showcase of art created by over 350 local youth and their teachers that considers the role of art in saving the ancient forests of the Sunshine Coast and beyond. This is our 2021 edition of our annual Young People’s exhibition.
The work in the exhibition is the result of three creative workshops that encouraged young artists to explore “Eco-Collage”, “Hidden Creatures” and “Photography and Plant Chemistry”. These workshops were led by local artists Nadina Tandy, M. Simon Levin and Lynn Ouchi-Moir, and the results include mobiles, photography, sculptures, collage and installation. They express the love and care that young people feel for our forests.
We are excited to show the creativity of young people from across the Sunshine Coast, and to invite you into this conversation, and observe heir creative thinking about the values of these ancient places and the terrible consequences of their loss.
This exhibition is part of a long-term commitment to examining the role that art plays in saving our ancient forests, here on the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere. And more importantly, to amplify the perspectives of our next generation, who have an important stake in the preservation of these irreplaceable forests. When we began this project, the Dakota Bear Sanctuary on the slopes of Mount Elphinstone in upper Roberts Creek was slated to be auctioned for timber in 202. This forty-six hectare area within the unceded Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) territory, is home to some of the oldest trees (1800+ years) in Canada, this mountain sanctuary ancient forest is a ‘time capsule’ of natural and cultural features. Shortly before the workshops began in schools, we received the news that the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation and the Province of BC had signed an agreement to protect the Dakota Bear Sanctuary, in a triumphant conclusion to a nearly 10-year long struggle. Still, the story of the Sanctuary is far from over.
This project is in collaboration with The Only Animal, the Living Forest Institute and Elphinstone Logging Focus.
