The Summer Solstice hit us Monday, and is a time of welcoming in the new and bringing the warmth of the sun into our lives and hearts.
For many cultures it is a very spiritual day and as a time of new beginnings, it was the perfect day to open our newest exhibition, Alive and Thriving: The Unseen Resiliency.
The Indigenous Friendship Centre is a centre that promotes the lives of the Metis, First Nations and Inuit peoples who live in North Bay and they offer many services to Indigenous peoples of all ages. They share culture, tradition, and skills in order to keep their way of life alive and seen.
The North Bay Indigenous Hub features similar services along with health care and child care programs to those in their community.
Working with both of these amazing centres has been a wonderful experience for us at the gallery and we are thankful for their artwork that they have lent us.
This exhibition is a celebration of the Indigenous community in and around North Bay and is a yearly tradition here at the gallery. This year, as Gerry and Thaila were installing the show, they had this to say about the purpose of the exhibition:
“While selecting works for this exhibition, we reflected on the past year and how people have been deeply affected by the pandemic. The isolation has been difficult, but left room for many to reflect and spend time with themselves. The focus of this show is to celebrate living, breathing peoples that embrace their culture and continue to thrive despite the oppression and hardships that they continue to face today.”
Knowing this about the community really helped us at the gallery to peer deeper into the pieces we’ve received and we hope that it will have the same effect for those who come to see the show.
In order to come in, please head over to our website, www.kennedygallery.org, and using the Book Now button you are able to select your date and time to come in with up to three people.
We are so excited to share this amazing cultural experience with all of you.
https://www.nugget.ca/entertainment/local-arts/a-summer-solstice-opening-for-exhibit
