Enduring cultural connections are the most powerful outcome of a recent group exhibition of Northwest Coast art in Hawaii, says Brenda Crabtree, Director of the Aboriginal Gathering Place and Special Advisor to the President on Indigenous Initiatives at Emily Carr University.

The show, to which Brenda contributed work, appeared first at the Schaefer Gallery in Kahului, on Maui, and then through the winter at the East-West Center Gallery in Honolulu. Entitled First Nations Art of British Columbia, it represents the first time works by Indigenous artists from BC have been shown in a dedicated exhibition on the Hawaiian Islands.

“The best part of both the Maui opening and the Honolulu opening were the cultural connections we had with local Indigenous people.” Brenda said. “They came out and they were so supportive. They shared their local ceremonial practice, they welcomed us in a very traditional way, and we spoke back.”

Full article by Perrin Grauer: https://www.ecuad.ca/news/2020/first-nw-coast-art-exhibition-in-hawaii-sparks-powerful-cultural-exchange