A new exhibit by Tahltan/Tlingit master carver, Dempsey Bob, is set to open at the North Pacific Cannery Historic Site in Port Edward.
SALMON: Cannery Days pays tribute to the last generation of Indigenous cannery workers who lived, worked, and fished at salmon canneries on the north coast.
The world-renowned artist will be in attendance to speak about his work on opening day Aug. 9 at 2 p.m.
The show combines reflective installation pieces alongside prints and carvings that reflect a deeply personal connection to the subject matter.
As a young boy and youth, Bob spent many summers living at the cannery.
“This show is about growing up in the canneries and is a tribute to our ancestors who worked in the canneries,” Bob said. “It is an important part of our heritage and it’s a big part of who we are. I wanted to honour our ancestors and preserve the connection to salmon and the experience of cannery life.”
The exhibit "offers a poignant reflection on an era that saw Indigenous people from across the north work, live, and fish at salmon canneries on the northwest coast of B.C." states a press release on the event.
“This is such a meaningful opportunity for people to reflect on the past, and how people lived and worked in the canneries,” said Heather Havland-Dudoward, general manager of the North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site.
“So many of those canneries are gone now – that history is getting lost. To have Dempsey’s work here, as someone who grew up in the cannery, brings it full circle and is a chance for people to learn about that important time in history.”
The show runs until Sept. 30.
Dempsey Bob is an Officer of the Order of Canada and the recipient of the 2021 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts Artistic Achievement Award. He is also one of the founding instructors of the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art at Coast Mountain College in Terrace.
The exhibit is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
