This project started as an ArtStart Grant. The intention grew out of my first interaction with the school teachers and students. I was invited to attend the school to share some of my art from a solo exhibition that was being exhibited at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. The collection was purchased by one of the family's who was also a teacher at the school, my name and the environmental advocacy and protest that was the content of my work was shared with the school Principle Michael Guzzi and he invited me to share my work. 

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As part of their ongoing process I visited the school a year later to engage and learn about what environmental projects the school was working on at the time. I found that the students had all been working in the realm of water and coincidently one class was raising Kokanee in their classroom. This was very much in line with my work I do depicting salmon and the environmental impacts they face. 

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I engaged with the students in class over a few weeks to learn from them and to share my indigenous perspective on the issues our territories in the Okanagan are facing in relation to water. Their intuitive minds and hearts guided and informed my design process. The design is intended to be painted on panels that will then be installed in the school. Its size will be

8' x 24'.

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Due to Covid-19 we postponed this project but will be revisiting it sometime soon. This here is the draft design that the students will assist with painting. 

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