FOCUS ON /
OUTDOOR
EVENT DESCRIPTION
FOCUS ON/ Outdoor explores the fusion of Landscape Architecture and Lighting, immersing you in a captivating experience, revealing architecture and nature in a new context as the sun sets and night emerges.
Explore the limitless possibilities to transform landscapes after dark using state of the art lighting technology.
Engage with industry-leading experts, participate in hands-on demonstrations, and network with like-minded professionals.
DATE AND LOCATION:
Thursday September 14, 2023
5:00pm – 9:30pm
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Visitor’s Centre
5251 Oak St
Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1
PRESENTED BY:
JAMES XWALACKTUN HARRY
ART EXHIBITION + KEYNOTE
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw • ARTIST
James Harry was born on October 31, 1989, in Vancouver, British Columbia, to a family of artists. His father, Xwalacktun, is a master carver of the Squamish Nation, and he learned Indigenous stories, Salish design, and carving skills from him. Growing up, James was immersed in Squamish Nation culture and traditions, which deeply influenced his artistic style and approach.
James later attended Emily Carr University of Arts and Design, where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in Visual Arts in 2014. During his studies, James focused on integrating traditional Coast Salish art forms, including Salish design, with contemporary concepts and materials, experimenting with a variety of media, including wood, metal, and glass.
Today, James is recognized as a leader in the burgeoning contemporary Coast Salish art scene, known for pushing the boundaries of traditions while using his work to promote cultural understanding and reconciliation. His unique style blends intricate carving with bold, modern designs and incorporates elements of metal, light, and Salish design. James creates work that is a powerful expression of his cultural heritage and a testament to the ongoing vitality and relevance of Indigenous art forms.
T’UY’T’TANAT CEASE / CECILIA WYSS
ART EXHIBITION + KEYNOTE
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw • ARTIST
T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss is an Indigenous Matriarch of the Skwxwu7mesh, Sto:lo and Hawaiian people. Through her work as an ethnobotanist, artist, activist and community-based educator, they strive to share Indigenous customs, teachings,
and futures and to connect Indigenous peoples. Wyss’s thirty-year career encompasses a vast array of practices, from weaving, making remedies, medicine walks to the realm of Indigenous Digital Futurisms. Ceases’ interactive, community-based work is insightful and informative of their contemporary conditions.
Interweaving their skills as an ethnobotanist and an interdisciplinary artist, Cease maintains a practice to decolonize their life and their art by learning about their culture and using traditions practised by their ancestors. This is witnessed in their recent exploration of cultural weaving using materials traditionally used by Salish People such as red and yellow cedar, Salish Woolly dog fibre, stinging nettles, and fireweed fluff. Furthermore, their current community teachings and research is focused on restoring and remediating Indigenous species and natural space by encouraging others to build their Indigenous food forests and to nurture local biodiversity respectfully and sustainably.
Wyss is a collaborator, deeply involved in community building and finds dialogue with communities crucial in exchanging knowledge and critical in preserving Indigenous understanding of the land and ecosystems. Wyss has taught these teachings to public institutions and organisations and has participated in creative
projects that share different indigenous cultures in stewarding this effort in preservation. Outside the importance of preserving what surrounds them, Cease believes in the importance of taking care of and feeding oneself, in redefining oneself as a way to care for Mother Earth, Chescha7 Timixw, and Ch’iaxw- their sacred protocol.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING EXPERIENCE
Participate in and experience the illumination of the exterior spaces within the park, using best in class outdoor lighting tools from our global manufacturer partners. You will get hands on experience working with a diverse range of projectors, bollards, pathway, in-ground and underwater luminaires in real-world outdoor environments.
SCHEDULE
5:00PM — 9:30PM
5:00PM
Reception and Exhibition of art by James Harry
6:15PM
Keynote Presentation “The creative insights of James Harry”
7:15PM
Outdoor Lighting Experience in the Park
9:30PM
Wrap-up
DATE
Thursday September 14, 2023
5:00pm – 9:30pm
LOCATION
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Visitor's Centre at 5251 Oak St
Vancouver, BC, V6M 4H1