Abbotsford, BC – The Reach Gallery Museum is set to launch a compelling season of new exhibitions that will open on January 28, 2021 and run until May 8, 2021. Fraser Valley-based artists are well represented among the three new exhibitions including the extended run of Semá:th Xó:tsa: Sts’ólemeqwelh Sx̱ó:tsa / Great-Gramma’s Lake. Unfortunately, as events and gatherings are currently prohibited by public health guidelines, there will be no formal opening reception but visitors are welcome during regular hours of operation.
E’yies’lek Rocky LaRock: The Wild Inside introduces a body of work by Stó:lō master carver Claude “Rocky” LaRock in this long overdue acknowledgement of his remarkable 40-year career. Born in Seattle, as a child LaRock moved with his family to his mother’s Coast Salish home territory where he still resides, in the community of Sts’ailes (Chehalis) in the Fraser Valley. His practice is inseparable from his Stó:lō identity and his relationships to community, family, and land. He has mastered the skills, techniques, and stories of traditional hand-carving, but he is equally committed to experimentation, incorporating contemporary elements and techniques, creating carvings intended solely for display, and using a unique visual language to express contemporary, global concerns through the lens of a Stó:lō cosmology. This exhibition will be the first occasion for the breath of LaRock’s creative practice to be brought together and exhibited at a public gallery. This exhibition is generously sponsored by Aldergrove Credit Union.
The 2021 Fraser Valley Biennial is back with a dynamic and collective representation of exceptional artwork produced by artists in the Fraser Valley region over the past two years.
Featuring artwork by: Sidi Chen, Isabella Dagnino, David Evans, Karen Johnson, Chenny Kwon, Russell Leng and Alysha Creighton, Dana Mandeville, Karlie Norrish McChesney, Dona Park, Hong Park, Sora Park, Amberlie Perkin, Patricia Peters, Rosa Quintana Lillo, Isam Sharkia, Meghan Spence, Candice Stenstrom, Chantelle Trainor-Matties, Jordan Turner, Michelle Vandyck, Mandeep Wirk, Qahraman Yousif, Vanessa Lefan Yuen, and Ketty Zhang.
A focus this year’s guest co-curators, Kendra Anderson and Kate Bradford, was to highlight works of art created by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) in the Fraser Valley. “It’s been really wonderful bringing this incredible group of local Fraser Valley artists together to exhibit their work, especially with the difficulties the last year has brought.” says Bradford. For Anderson, who is currently a graduate student in Carleton University’s Art History program, the experience has been formative. “As an emerging curator having the chance to break through on an exhibition like the Biennial has been a rewarding experience and a privilege to work with such talented local artists and amazing staff at The Reach.” The 2021 Fraser Valley Biennial is generously sponsored by RDM Lawyers.
By popular demand, last season’s exhibition, Semá:th Xó:tsa: Sts’ólemeqwelh Sx̱ ó:tsa / Great-Gramma’s Lake will be extended to May 8, 2021. This exhibition is based on a new children’s book that was published by The Reach in fall of 2020. The collaborative book and exhibition recall a time when Semá:th Xó:tsa (Sumas Lake) was a source of cultural, spiritual, and physical abundance for the Stó:lō people, using memory and story to allow the lake to live on today. The project is illustrated by Carrielynn Victor and is co-authored by Chris Silver, Carrielynn Victor, Kris Foulds, and Laura Schneider.
Curated by Calvin Bergen, Art on Demand 7.1 features work by emerging artist Yifei Zhang. As a biomedical researcher and visual artist, Zhang’s series of drawings titled Connections are inspired by her investigations into the circuitry of the brain. Featuring exuberant and spontaneous gestures of mark-making with ink on paper, the series as a whole offers both mimetic and metaphorical insights into Zhang’s scientific research.
In addition to these excellent exhibitions this season, The Reach brings art and heritage into your home this spring with a number of virtual workshops! To check out The Reach’s program offerings, visit www.thereach.ca/calendar/.
The Reach has implemented a number of changes to ensure that patrons have a safe and enjoyable visit. These include hand sanitizing stations, physical distancing measures, directional signage, and an increased cleaning schedule. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 12pm-5pm.
For more information visit www.thereach.ca.