Christine Reimer is a Vancouver-based set and
costume designer. Her designs have graced the stages of many West Coast opera companies including Vancouver, Anchorage, Pacific, and Seattle Opera. Christine has a background in art history and textile design. Early in her career her master fabric dyeing skills led her to work at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival and The Stratford Festival for many seasons. Originality through colour, texture and silhouette continue to be a strength in Ms. Reimer’s designs.
Debra Sparrow of the Musqueam Nation, is a renowned
artist who has greatly inspired the revival of Coast Salish weaving. She is a self-taught artist who has dedicated herself to creating intricate and beautiful artwork based on Salish designs that first appeared hundreds of years ago. Her work has been collected and exhibited at various museums, galleries and private collections around the world, including the Burke Museum, Heard Museum, and UBC Museum of Anthropology. Debra was awarded the 2008 BC Creative Achievement Award for First Nations Art.
“Acknowledge Traditional Coast Salish Territories” On loan from First Nations Education Steering Committee
“Queen of the Night” and “Ladies of the Night” original drawings made with pen, watercolour, and pastel
Rose M. Spahan is an accomplished artist, teacher, and curator who often acts as a liaison for other First Nations artists. She has worked with galleries, coordinated special events, and was an on-air host for the New Canoe, a television program that covers contemporary First Nations artists. Rose was raised within her people’s Coast Salish territories on Vancouver Island. She received her BFA in 1989 from the University of Victoria.
To purchase any of the featured artwork or to inquire about commissioning artwork, please contact the artists directly: Cathi Charles-Wherry (250) 652-8277 @@LO Rande Cook (250) 704-6777, rancook@mac.com www.randecook.com @@LO Brenda Crabtree (604) 844-3088, bcrab@ecuad.ca @QE Lindsay Delaronde (250) 686-8631 katsitsakaste13@yahoo.ca @QE Melvin Dunn (604) 600-3536 @QE Carey Newman (250) 881-0528, info@blueraven.ca www.blueraven.ca @LO Luke Parnell, lukejparnell@hotmail.com @QE
“Salish Dreams from Harbour Center” 4’ x 5’ acrylic on canvas $8,000
Dionne Paul (604) 989-3400 dionnempaul@hotmail.com, www.dionnepaul.ca @QE Christine Reimer, christinereimer@shaw.ca www.christinereimerdesign.com @LO Rose M. Spahan (604) 682-2871 ext 4850 rose_spahan@yahoo.ca @LO
The Magic Flute in Art:
Creators & Messengers
In March of 2013, Vancouver Opera re-mounts its acclaimed First Nations-inspired production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. This uniquely reimagined version of an operatic standard preserves its music and narrative, but resets its locale to the Coast Salish Islands, located on the coast of British Columbia. The work’s libretto has been translated from its original German to English, but also incorporates the Halq’emeylem language of the Coast Salish People into its text. Production costuming and set design have been crafted to reflect authentic and historic Coast Salish elements. The production promises to be both artistically vibrant and compelling, and serves as another example of the cross-cultural collaboration that Vancouver Opera has become increasingly known for in recent years. As one of several community engagement initiatives, Vancouver Opera is hosting a First Nations art exhibition for display at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Lookout Gallery during The Magic Flute’s performance run (March 9–16, 2013). The exhibition has been curated by Rose M. Spahan, who in addition to her role as Vancouver Opera’s First Nations Cultural Liaison, is an accomplished Coast Salish artist and curator of First Nations art.
“We are pleased to host The Magic Flute in Art:
Creators & Messengers featuring First Nations and
non-aboriginal artists who have made significant and sustained contributions to the greater cultural community. The exhibition is inspired by thematic elements of the production, and reflective of the artists’ personal voices. The artwork is a testament to the talent and diversity of local artists and represents a unique fusion of Aboriginal language, culture and story with the timeless music of Mozart. This community-building initiative is an opportunity to create dialogue reflecting the similarities and differences between Aboriginal and Western cultures, arts and storytelling – and, in the process, to discover our common ground.” - Rose M. Spahan, Curator
Sponsored by:
Artwork is being shown at Lookout Gallery (@LO) and at Queen Elizabeth Theatre (@QE). Group tours are available at Queen Elizabeth Theatre until March 22, 2013 and the Lookout Gallery, 555 W. Hastings, until March 27, 2013. Please contact Rose M. Spahan by phone for details.
Creators & Messengers C athi Charles-Wherry R ande Cook Brenda Cr abtree Lindsay Del aronde Melvin Dunn C arey Ne wman Luke Parnell Dionne Paul Christine Reimer
Debra Sparrow (604) 261-5156, info@debrasparrow.ca www.debrasparrow.ca @LO, @QE
Photo Credits: Brian Dennehy (Cathi Charles-Wherry, Rande Cook, Carey Newman, Debra Sparrow), Chris Walters (Brenda Crabtree, Luke Parnell, Rose M. Spahan); other photos are courtesy of the artists.
The Magic Flute in Art:
Rose M. Spahan Cover art: Carey Newman Brochure design: Florene Belmore and Randall Gray Printing provided by: East Van Graphics.ca
Debr a Sparrow
Creators & Messengers
Melvin Dunn
The Artists
Cathi Charles-Wherry is of Anishnabeque/
British ancestry and is a member of the Rama Mnjikaning First Nation. A graduate of the Visual Arts Program at Camosun College, she also holds a BFA with Honours from the University of Victoria. In all of her work, she enjoys the challenge of realizing a balanced expression of this training and her ever-growing understanding of the Anishnabe sensibility that resides in her memory and bones. In addition to her work as a visual artist and curator, Cathi is the Art Program Manager for “Pamina Dreams 1” and “Pamina Dreams 2” each 16” x 8” First Peoples’ Heritage, photo transfer, acrylic and ink Language and Culture each $350 Council.
Rande Cook, Kwak wakawak Nation, was born in
culture-rich Alert Bay, a small village on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Surrounded by the beauty of land and art, Rande found the passion of creativity at an early age. Rande has worked with many great mentors, including John Livingston for his mastery in wood sculpting, Robert Davidson in metal work, Calvin Hunt for his amazing craftsmanship in wood, and most recently repousee and chasing master Valentin Yotkov. Rande pushes himself in all his mediums looking for perfection of each technique. Rande’s works can be seen in many galleries in the United States and Canada, and is now in collections around the world.
“Papageno”
12” x 6.25” x 6.25” inner cedar bark double-walled basket NFS
was born in Bella Coola and is a member of the Nuxalk Nation. He studied Fine Arts at Langara Community College and later received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design. Since then, he has been employed as In-House Artist at Appleton Galleries. Melvin works in ceramic sculpture, painting, printmaking and soapstone carving. As a contemporary artist, Melvin continues to explore traditions of Nuxalk art and has had “Realm of the Vulnerable” several shows throughout approx 24” x 10” Brazilian soapstone, abalone shell inlay Vancouver over the years. $7,000
Brenda Crabtree is the Aboriginal Program Manager
College of Art and Design, a Master of Applied Arts at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and was traditionally trained as an apprentice to Tsimsian master carver Henry Green. He has received awards in British Columbia and Ontario and has exhibited in solo and group shows. Parnell has been a professional artist for over eleven years.
“Sun and Moons” designs (at left and on cover) are computer graphics used to represent the Queen of the Night and Sarastro’s realm of light. They are seen separately throughout the opera and are finally brought together in the finale. NFS
Sechelt-Coast Salish, belongs to the Eagle Clan and her ancestral name Ximiq means “The first eyelash of sunlight that comes over the mountain to greet everyone in the morning.” She is a graduate of Emily Carr University of Art and Design and apprenticed with Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. Dionne is a member of the Salish Weaving Guild. She practices traditional wool and cedar bark weaving techniques, painting and stained glass.
“Confrontation with Wisdom” 30” x 40” photo transfer onto plywood, varathane, cedar frame $875
and was born and raised on the Kahnawake reserve. Delaronde began making art at a young age, also practicing traditional forms of art such as beadwork and cultural crafts. Obtaining her BFA at the Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design, followed by a MFA from the University of Victoria, Delaronde continues her career creating artworks directly related to being an Indigenous woman in contemporary mainstream society.
$4,500
Luke Parnell, Haida Nation, earned a BFA at Ontario
Dionne Paul, Nuxaulk &
at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver. She has a Master of Arts in Cultural Anthropology. Brenda belongs to the Spuzzum Band and has both Nlaka’pamux and Sto:lo ancestry. Her art practice includes cedar and spruce root basketry, drummaking, moose hair tufting and beadwork.
“Harvest Moon” 33.5” x 66” woven faux fur, acrylic paint on faux leather $1,100 “Magic Flute and Glockenspiel” (depicting Eagle, Sun and Moon) cedar, copper and leather NFS
Lindsay Delaronde is an Iroquois, Mohawk woman,
“Queen of the Night” 22” x 18” x 6” copper, steel, cedar, abalone and acrylic
“The Magic Flute: Act One” tryptich “Sarastro”, “Tamino/Papageno”, “Queen of the Night” each 16” x 16” acrylic on wood panel $4,000
Carey Newman
, whose traditional name is Hayalthkingeme, is an artist of Kwagiulth, Salish and British descent. Although there is a contemporary flare to his work, he is very careful to adhere to traditional rules and values. Carey enjoys working in a variety of mediums and makes everything from 30’ totems to platinum engagement rings.
“Moon Spirits” 4’ x 4’ acrylic on canvas $1,500