July 12, 2021 (Hazelton, BC) – Award-winning independent Gitxsan artist Michelle Stoney and her artist/photographer brother, Alex Stoney, will be creating a riverside art installation of monumental proportions this summer in Hazelton.
Building on the success and interest of past riverside art installations, the brother and sister is planning to recreate one of Michelle’s salmon designs using natural elements such as river rocks and driftwood. This one-hundred-foot salmon will showcase her unique and iconic northwest coast Indigenous art style.
Alex Stoney will be filming and photographing this natural art project and guiding volunteers to help with the installation.
“We want to make a statement about wild salmon and their importance to all communities. These magical creatures have been sustaining our communities for thousands of years. With salmon returns at distressingly low numbers, we think this art project will provide a good opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate not just salmon, but also to honour and celebrate indigenous art and culture,” said Stoney.
Leah Pipe, fellow Hazelton-based artist working on Gitxsan territory, is helping promote this event. “They’ve created 3 of these riverside art installations before and people loved them. Seeing Michelle’s art designs come to life beside a powerful river is so moving, creative, adventurous and some of the best art to come out of the north,” exclaims Pipe.
“This is our biggest one yet and we’re really excited to bring communities together and celebrate salmon and art. We hope this installation will stick around all summer, until high water comes,” concludes Stoney.
The sibling duo will be located at Anderson Flats (accessed from South Hazelton – there will be road markers) starting Friday, July 16 @ 10am and will go until Sunday, July 18th depending on how many people come out to help. They are encouraging the community to come out and take part in this exciting project. Together, community members will help move rocks and driftwood into place until the massive salmon is fully formed and taking over the riverbank.
The art-in-action can also be viewed from across the river at ‘Ksan Museum. People wanting to participate in the art installation can follow the road signs starting at the turn off for South Hazelton on Highway 16.
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