Comox Valley Art Gallery is supporting Wachiay Studio to launch an artist residency.
The goal of this residency is to amplify the voices of community-based artists by providing free screen print training and studio space. Artists in residence will have a week of studio time to create projects of their choice. To foster collaboration, two artists will be working at the studio at a time.
CVAG is hosting artists at the Next Door artist residence. In the fall, the gallery will present an exhibit of work created during the residency program.
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
February 24 – March 3 | Luke Ramsey + Rachelle Antoine
Image: courtesy of Wachiay Studio
LUKE RAMSEY works in public art, design, painting and illustration. His art is in collections with The City of Seattle and Canadian embassy in Colombia and El Salvador. Luke operated the Islands Fold artist residency with his wife on Pender Island from 2005 – 2010. Luke has collaborated with over 100 different artists to date. Facilitated through Madrona Gallery, he collaborated with Qavavau Manumie from Cape Dorset, Nunavut. Luke and Josh Holinaty’s collaborative mural in Edmonton won a National Urban Design Medal from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. His book Intelligent Sentient?, published by Drawn & Quarterly, was nominated for a Doug Wright Award. Luke became the first Artist in Residence for The City of Victoria from 2016 – 2018. In this position, he created over twenty projects, including six murals and two installations. Luke’s art explores animal form, nature and landscape. He currently lives with is wife and dog on the Sunshine Coast of BC, Canada.
Image: courtesy of Wachiay Studio
RACHELLE ANTOINE is a K’ómoks First Nation member of Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw descent on her father’s side and Saik’uz Dakelh on her mother’s side. She was born and raised on her traditional territory in Comox B.C. Following in her mother’s footsteps, she started to focus on her Indigenous art and in the last decade has done everything from leatherwork & beadwork to silkscreen printing and block printing. She makes fine art prints, art cards, apparel, beaded hats, jewelry, housewares, and more. Her art and products are all made in her home in beautiful K’ómoks, BC.
May 11 – 18 | Amanda Hugon + Facundo Gastiazoro
Image: courtesy of Wachiay Studio
AMANDA HUGON is born in the southern part of British Columbia on her ancestral territory of the Coast Salish. She is also Sto:lo and Métis. Her Grandmother is of the Kwikwetlum Nation, which is located along the Fraser River. Her grandpa is a chief of Cheam in Rosedale, they are known as the “People of the Salmon.” Currently, Amanda works in Terrace, British Columbia, where she is actively involved in the Northern arts community as a member of the board of directors for the the Terrace Art Gallery Association, art instructor, and volunteer. A contemporary Indigenous artist, Amanda works in many mediums including wood, painting plaster, print making and multi-media installations. Based out of Terrace, British Columbia, Amanda works to restore what it means to be a female Indigenous artist while challenging stereotypes and breaking down barriers.
Image: courtesy of Wachiay Studio
FACUNDO GASTIAZORO grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has lived in Smithers, BC with his family for almost two decades. He is a muralist that works alone or in collaboration with First Nation artists Manda Hugon, Stephanie Anderson and Travis Hebert as part of the Raven-Tacuara Collective creating murals where traditional and modern design mix in a vibrant and energetic colours, shapes and forms. His work can be seen at walls in northern BC and Argentina.
He studied image and sound design as well as animation at the post-secondary level. While he’s worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for years, he is always engaged in art projects in a professional capacity from creating music for dance performances, to illustrating children’s books, to designing and building props for theatre productions. He’s worked as a producer, animator and art department on various videos animation projects.
As a volunteer, Facundo was a board member for Northern Society for Domestic Peace and is Art Gallery Curator, he was a board member at CICK Smithers Community Radio and Valley Youth Fiddlers He also is a composer and arranger for experimental music 1000cuts, and he is part of Los Gringos Salvajes.
June 29 – July 6 | Danika Naccarella Saunders + Shawna Kiesman
Image: courtesy of Wachiay Studio
DANIKA SAUNDERS born in Vancouver, BC in 1997. Raised Nuxalk from Bella Coola, BC, and bloodline to the Gwa’sala-Nakwaxda’xw Nation. Saunders started practicing Northwest Coast art in 2010 while attending Acwsalcta School for her high school years. After graduating in 2014, she enrolled into the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art, obtaining her diploma in First Nations Fine Arts in 2016. Danika is a two-time YVR Art Foundation Scholarship recipient (2015 & 2022). In 2017, she received the Crabtree McLennan Emerging Artists Award. After the Freda Diesing program, Danika attended the Earthline Tattoo Residency in 2017 where she learned the handpoke and skin stitch tattooing techniques. Danika spent 4 years assisting the art program at Acwsalcta School. Recently, Danika has focused on her own art career, dedicating herself full time to creating either digitally, with paints, through handpoke tattoos or jewelry.
Image: courtesy of Wachiay Studio
SHAWNA KIESMAN is Tsm’syen/Nisga’a. She was born in Prince Rupert, BC and was raised in Victoria, BC. Shawna graduated from Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Arts and continued her education at Emily Carr University of Art + Design to gain her Bachelor of Fine Arts and further develop her artistic skills. While in school, Kiesman received several awards including the Audain Entrance Scholarship and BC Arts Council Scholarship. Since graduating, Shawna’s career as an artist has continued to thrive, having successfully received a grant from First Peoples’ Cultural Council and she was chosen to attend RBC Audain Museum Emerging Artist Program, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and Bonnie McComb Kreye Studio residencies. Shawna has recently been awarded the BC achievement Crabtree McLennan Emerging Artist – Polygon Award and YVR Mid-Career Scholarship. Kiesmans work is included in the permanent collections of the Nisga’a museum, Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat and Coast Mountain College. Shawna continues to explore her art practice using the mediums of digital art, textiles, drawing and painting.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATOR
IMAGE: George Littlechild, courtesy of Wachiay Studio