RETURN TO WATER includes collaboration with community partners + education programs, research + creation activities, and events that engage the community in considering and celebrating water. Throughout this convergent program events will be presented alongside the current exhibition that share community partners and schools research + creation + community engagement activities.
The RETURN TO WATER FESTIVAL is a series of arts-based events and presentations that bring community together to explore issues related to perceptions of water, use of water, the human relationship to water, the climate’s effect on water, and the concept of water as a “living entity”. Daily events will instigate interdisciplinary and cross-cultural considerations of water and its significance through visual art, photography, video, sound, interactive media, texts, performance, music, dance, and song.
The community is invited to participate in a wide variety of activities throughout the festival week.
All events are free – donations gratefully accepted.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE + LINKS:
Some events require registration, email: gallery@comoxvalleyartgallery.com / include the session name + participant’s name.
THURSDAY May 12 | UNDER (WATER) LOOKING UP
EDUCATION OUTREACH
Selected school groups will participate at CVAG.
Workshops will also be live-streamed for the public.
- 9:30 – 11:30AM + 1- 2PM – STORIES FOR IMPACT
Megan Hockin-Bennett / Andy Johnson / Sam Rose Phillips
Education Outreach Sessions – registered schools
Live-streamed (9:30 – 10:30AM)
Zoom Link – https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87568640282 - 9:30AM – 2PM – CONNECTED BY WATER
Meaghan Cursons / Tina Willard-Stepan
Education Outreach Sessions – registered schools - 9:30AM – 2PM – WACHIAY SCREEN PRINTERS
Live Screen Printing
Education Outreach Sessions – selected schools
EDUCATION + TRAINING
- 6M – 9PM – SOUNDWAVES
Robin Davies
Knowledge sharing + training
Registered participants
FESTIVAL OPENING + CULTURAL SHARING
(Thursday May 12)
2:30 – 5:30PM public all ages drop-in – CVAG PLAZA
4:00PM live-streamed – Zoom link – https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82877543419
- 2PM – 5:30PM LIVE ART + MAKE ART + COMMUNITY ACTIVATIONS
Live Screen Printing – WACHIAY SCREEN PRINTERS – Bring a t-shirt to screen print!
Film Screenings:
LETTER FROM THE OCEAN – Imago Theatre
FLOAT – Renee Poisson
Live Spoken Word – Sam Rose Philips + Megan Hockin-Bennett - 4:00PM – OPENING RECEPTION + CULTURAL SHARING
JoAnne Restoule + the Noojim Owin Dancers / Kumugwe Cultural Society
Public all ages drop-in CVAG and Live-streamed
Zoom link – https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82877543419
FRIDAY May 13 | SOURCE
Education + Offsite Place Making Event
EDUCATION + TRAINING
- 9AM – 4PM – SOUNDWAVES
Robin Davies
Day of knowledge sharing + training
Registered participants
SITE-SPECIFIC ACTIVITY
- SOURCE ENCOUNTERS
Offsite Place Making Event
Meghan Cursons / Tina Willard-Stephan (Connected by Water)
Canoeing + Kayaking + Hiking + Cultural Teachings
Registration required:
gallery@comoxvalleyartgallery.com / include the session name + participant’s name.
SATURDAY May 14 | CURRENTS
Workshops, installations, performances, video screenings, music + dance party – at CVAG
PUBLIC / ALL AGES / DROP IN at CVAG + LIVE-STREAMED + BY REGISTRATION ACTIVITIES
- 10AM – 12PM – WATER IN(ter)VENTIONS
Sophia Vaillant of Zenius Labs
Make Art Workshop – Registration required:
gallery@comoxvalleyartgallery.com / include the session name + participant’s name.
- 10:30AM – 11:30AM – FLOATING CAMERA OBSCURA
Donald Lawrence
Artist Talk – Drop-in + Live-streamed
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85465414647 - 1:30PM – 5PM – BODIES OF WATER
Jane Ellison
Movement + Walking Meditation – Registration required:
gallery@comoxvalleyartgallery.com / include the session name + participant’s name.
- 3PM – 5PM – CURATING CLEANER WATERS
Jamie Black
Shadow Jam Improv – Drop-in all ages - 2:30PM – 9:30PM – WACHIAY SCREEN PRINTERS
Live Screen Printing – Drop-in all ages – Bring a t-shirt to screen print!
- 5PM – 9PM – VIDEO PROGRAM
Gallery HUB + Project Room Studio (Lower Level) – Drop-in all ages - 6PM – 6:30PM – BALANCING the SOUND
Renee Poisson
Sound Installation + Performance with audience participation
CVAG Plaza Drop-in + Live-streamed
zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84849111056 - 6:30PM – 9:30PM – BODY WAVES
DJ LadyK
Live Music CVAG Plaza – Drop-in all ages
WEDNESDAY – SATURDAY May 11 – 14 | FLOW
Public all ages drop-in during GALLERY HOURS – 10AM – 5PM
Exhibitions, video programs, community collaborations + research incubators
Students’ Incubator Projects + Place-based Research + Videos
(seen in the Community Gallery and Project Room Studio (Lower Level)
- NIC Digital Design Students
- NIC Early Childhood Care & Education Students
- SD71/72 ECCE Centres + Schools
- L’Arche Comox Valley
Salt Stained Streaks of a Worthwhile Grief
(seen in the South Gallery / George Sawchuk / GATHER:PLACE)
- Fathom Sounds Collective
Festival Video Program
(shown throughout CVAG presentation spaces)
- Various Contributors
IMAGE:
Artist: David Page, Tsolum River Water Interpretation. Hammered copper. 2022 / Documentation: Alun Macanulty
ACKNOWLEDEMENTS
The Comox Valley Art Gallery would like to acknowledge that we are located upon the Unceded Traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation. CVAG recognizes the enduring presence of First Nations people on this land.
The gallery is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with artists, writers, guest curators, community partners, our volunteers, donors and members.
CVAG’s convergent programming is made possible through the support of our funders; Province of BC, Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, Government of Canada, City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland, Comox Valley Regional District, BC Gaming.
Local Support: ABC Printing, SD71 Print Shop, Sherwin-Williams, Shine-EZE, Muir Engineering, Izco Technology Solutions, Cumberland Village works, Community Collaborators; Connected by Water, Lake Park Society, Cumberland Community Forest Society, Project Watershed, SD71 Indigenous Learning, Kumugwe Cultural Society, Ikwe Noojim Niimi Idiwin, Wachiay Studio, MakeIt Zone, Imago Theatre, McLoughlin Gardens Society, NIC Fine Arts, Digital Design, + ECCE programs in conjunction with CV+CR Early Learning Centres, Safe + Sound