Boarder X
to
Nanaimo Art Gallery 150 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 5G6
Photo by Don Hall courtesy of McKenzie Art Gallery
Bracken Hanuse Corlett, "Potlatch or Die," 2018
installation view
Boarder X
Jordan Bennett, Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Roger Crait, Steven Davies, Mark Igloliorte, Micheal Langan/Colonialism Skateboards (in collaboration with Kent Monkman), Mason Mashon, Meagan Musseau, Meghann O'Brien, Les Ramsay, and Amanda Strong
Curated by Jaimie Isaac
Organized and circulated by Winnipeg Art Gallery
Boarder X presents contemporary work by artists from Indigenous nations across Canada who surf, skate, and snowboard. The exhibition reveals how these practices are vehicles to challenge conformity and status quo, as well as demonstrate knowledge and performed relationships with the land. Whether reading the urban terrain, making a cement jungle a playground, riding natural contours of white immovable mountains, or shredding the ever-changing waves, it's not about controlling land and water, but being humbled by their power.
Through painting, mixed media, carving, weaving, photography, performance, and video, the artists reflect cultural, political, environmental, and social perspectives, as well as critiques about the territories we occupy. Artworks in Boarder X present narratives and observations of traditions, movement, balance, and entanglements of space, place, and belonging. Mobilizing traditional histories, the works conceptually bridge the past and present with reinventions in carving, weaving, and performance. Video and photography capture the energy of boarding with unbridled motivation and physicality. The exhibition is an affirmation of cultural resilience and an acknowledgement of ongoing respect and reverence for the land.
With four public skateparks, Nanaimo is a Vancouver Island destination for skateboarding, set between the world-renowned mountains on the mainland and the surf culture on the Island's west coast. Boarder X is an exciting opportunity to celebrate the rich cultures surrounding these activities, through the perspectives of eleven Indigenous artists.
Skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding are dynamic and expressive practices that bridge art and sport. To further build these connections we have made a mini half-pipe in our Art Lab education space that will be active throughout the run of the exhibition. Join us to experience this exciting project, and to celebrate our inquiry question: What moves?
We are also taking care to make sure your visit to the gallery is as safe as possible. Up to twelve visitors will be allowed in the gallery at one time, and everyone will be asked to wear masks, follow physical distancing, and safety protocols.
EXHIBITION PROGRAMS
Storytelling Tour with Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun
Wednesdays at noon
Book your tour of Boarder X with Snuneymuxw artist and storyteller Eliot White-Hill and art education coordinator Yvonne Vander Kooi.
Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun is a Coast Salish artist and author from the Snuneymuxw First Nation. He also has roots in the Nuu Chah Nulth world in Hupacasath and carries the name Kwaayas through them. His art practice is rooted in traditional storytelling and finding ways to express the Coast Salish world view through both visual and written narrative.
Recommended donation: $5
Contact the gallery to register: 250.754.1750 or info@nanaimogallery.ca
Tour, Skate & Make
Book your investigative tour of Boarder X and explore the intersections of art and boarding culture through the work of Indigenous artists. In Art Lab get an introduction to skating with a skateboard mentor on the newly installed mini half pipe, make a cool button, and design a skateboard graphic.
$90 (helmets included ) | 90 minutes | 10 person maximum
Contact the gallery to book: 250.754.1750 or info@nanaimogallery.ca
Interested in skating the half pipe?
Book your hour with a friend (two person limit) and skate in Art Lab.
With a Mentor: Fridays 3-9 PM, Saturdays 10 AM-1 PM, Sundays 1-5 PM
Without a Mentor (for experienced Skaters): Tuesdays 1-5 PM, Thursdays 12-3 PM
Recommended donation: $5
Contact the gallery to book: 250.754.1750 or info@nanaimogallery.ca
Exhibition Tour
Join our staff for a guided tour through Boarder X. Learn more about how these artists in Boarder Xand how their works have related skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding to Indigenous ways of being.
$40 | 45 minutes
Contact the gallery to book: 250.754.1750 or info@nanaimogallery.ca