BUSH Gallery*
BUSH Gallery (2019). Image courtesy of Tania Willard
BUSH Gallery has been a collaborative and collective project since 2013. In that time, they have curated contemporary Indigenous art on reserve, hosted residencies and teaching programs. In a process of centring and valuing Indigenous lands, language and cultures, they have built a foundation to actively engage philosophies and experimental practice with meaningful engagement with the local, in this case Secwépemc land and community. BUSH Gallery functions to allow dialogue, experimental practice and community engaged work that contributes to an understanding of how gallery systems and art mediums might be transfigured, translated and transformed by Indigenous customs, aesthetics, performance and land use systems. Reflecting on the limited availability of resources for art galleries and institutions in Indigenous communities, BUSH Gallery posits forms of land-based activations that emphasize site specificity on reserve land. They draw upon community engaged and relational practices using collaborative models. BUSH Gallery is Indigenous-led and collective members include Tania Willard (Secwépemc), Peter Morin (Tahltan), Gabrielle Hill (Métis) and Jeneen Frei (Gwitchin).