The Comox Valley Art Gallery presents Tlgaa K’aaysguuxan Sgaanagwas/The Supernatural Realm - SGaan Tlagéel / Land of Supernatural Beings.
This solo exhibition of the work by artist Gidahl-Gudsllaay / Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson. Photomontages and sound works reveal supernatural beings that depict Haida Gwaii world-views that hold important lessons for existence that all people can be inspired by. A new installation work honours the importance of ancestors and community, the lost Indigenous women and girls, and children who experienced residential schools.
Williams-Davidson is a musician, author, activist, artist, and lawyer born in Haida Gwaii, a singer and dancer since 1978, who has dedicated herself to the continuation of Haida language and culture. She has been a promoter of Haida music and language since the age of 13, when she was drawn to the songs her centenarian great-grandmother and grandmother sang.
During the week of Oct. 12 – 16, Williams-Davidson will visit the Comox Valley to engage the community in activities organized by CVAG and its community partners.
At the beginning of the week, she will engage students and educators from School District 71 Indigenous Education and Nala’atsi School in cultural sharing to create curriculum resources and a collaborative piece for the exhibition, Plastic Woman, that speaks to detritus that washes up on the shores of the Salish Sea. On Wednesday, Oct. 13 Comox Valley Community Justice Centre will hold a dinner in Williams-Davidson’s honour at the Native Sons Hall. On Thursday, Oct. 14, she will give the 10th Anniversary Iona Campagnolo Lecture in Restorative Justice at the Sid Williams Theatre, which will focus on her work in law, writing, visual arts, music, environmental justice, and Haida language and culture preservation. On Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m., the Comox Valley Art Gallery will live-stream the exhibition’s Opening Event + Artist Talk. A link to the stream will be provided a few days before the event on CVAG’s Website. On Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Sid Williams Theatre, she will perform a concert with SGaanaGwa, the band she formed with Bill Henderson and Claire Lawrence.
These activities and the exhibition that runs until Dece.31 at CVAG offer many ways to experience the important themes that run through Williams-Davidson’s work.