[BCMA] MEDIA RELEASE: Centenary of Sikh Temple, T'xwelatse Turned to Stone, Betty Goodwin Open April 14 @ The Reach

Thu Mar 31 13:42:17 PDT 2011

media release
for immediate release
media contact:
Kat Wahamaa
kwahamaa at thereach.ca<mailto:kwahamaa at thereach.ca>
604-864-8087 x 124

Man Turned to Stone: T’xwelatse
Organized in collaboration with the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre and the T’xwelatse Family
Betty Goodwin: Darkness and Memory
Organized by Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal and curated by
MACM Curator of the Permanent Collection, Josée Bélisle

Our Communities Our Stories:
Sikh Pioneers – 100 Years of Immigration, Integration and Identity
Organized in collaboration with the Khalsa Diwan Society and the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley

The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford
32388 Veterans Way
April 14 – May 29, 2011
Opening Reception – Thursday, April 14,  7-9pm

March 22, 2011, Abbotsford, BC…..The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford opens three new exhibitions in April:  Man Turned to Stone: T’xwelatse; Betty Goodwin: Darkness and Memory and Our Communities Our Stories:  Sikh Pioneers – 100 Years of Immigration, Integration and Identity.  The exhibitions run from April 14 to May 29, 2011, with the opening reception April 14 from 7 to 9pm, 32388 Veterans Way, Abbotsford.

Man Turned to Stone: T’xwelatse
Organized in collaboration with the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre and the T'xwelatse Family
Stone T’xwelatse, is an ancestor of the Chilliwack (Ts’elxweyeqw), one of the Stó:lō tribes, a man who was born thousands of years ago and transformed into a four-foot-high granite statue as punishment for mistreating his wife.  Through his transformation he was to give lessons to the people on how to live together in a good way.  For the Stó:lō, Stone T’xwelatse is a beloved, ancestor; a stone man with a living soul.

Over one hundred years ago, Stone T’xwelatse was taken from Stó:lō territory.  He was more recently discovered in Seattle in the collection of the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History.  After a 14-year campaign, Stone T’xwelatse was repatriated to the Stó:lō in 2006. As part of the exhibition, local photographer, David Campion will present a large-scale photographic installation depicting the human and geographic context of Stone T’xwelatse.  The Reach gratefully acknowledges the support of the British Columbia Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Betty Goodwin:  Darkness and Memory
Organized by Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal and curated by MACM
Curator of the Permanent Collection, Josée Bélisle
A constant presence on the Montréal art scene since the late 1960s, Betty Goodwin (Montréal, 1923-2008) is recognized as one of the leading figures of contemporary Canadian art. In 2003 the Dalhousie Art Gallery presented The Prints of Betty Goodwin, organized by the National Gallery of Canada, which featured a rich selection of iconic prints by the artist.

The Reach is pleased to host the travelling exhibition Betty Goodwin: Darkness and Memory which features more than thirty works by Goodwin drawn from the permanent collection of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. The Musée was an early patron of the artist, acquiring Goodwin’s now iconic “vest” prints in 1973 and organizing her first major exhibition in 1976 – a survey of an already wide-ranging fifteen-year period of production.

In assembling this selection of prints, drawings, sculptures and monumental tarp pieces from its collection, the Musée draws attention once again to the originality and scope of Goodwin’s multidisciplinary and deeply humanist practice by presenting the principal milestones within her unique trajectory. The national tour of the exhibition Betty Goodwin: Darkness and Memory has been made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through its Museums Assistance Program.

Our Communities Our Stories:  Sikh Pioneers – 100 Years of Immigration, Integration and Identity
Organized in collaboration with the Khalsa Diwan Society and the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley

Arriving more than a century ago, determined Sikh pioneers from Punjab, India came together against many odds to establish a community in Abbotsford, anchoring it with one of the first Sikh temples in North America - the Khalsa Diwan Society Sikh Temple (built 1908 - 1911) in Abbotsford, BC. This significant temple has been designated as a National Historic Site by the Canadian Government and is the only one of its kind in the Americas to be bestowed with this honour.

As the only early Sikh temple that has survived intact through the lst century of settlement, the Gur Sikh Temple is imbued with historic cultural symbolism. It signifies the Sikh pioneers’ personal sacrifices, their perseverance against many odds and their resilience to carve out a place for themselves and their families in a very hostile environment. The temple is an important touchstone to their past; its restoration also represents one of the first steps in preserving the century plus long history of Sikhs in Canada. This exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Khalsa Diwan Society and Centre for Indo Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley.  Historic photos that document the development the establishment of Abbotsford’s Sikh community, family artefacts that illustrate the stories told by pioneers and a glimpse into the Sikh faith will provide a fascinating background for the community-wide temple Centennial celebrations.

The exhibitions open Thursday, April 14 with a reception, including wine and hors d’oeuvres, from 7 to 9pm. Opening remarks begin at 7:30pm followed by the premier performance of an original narrative dance The T’xwelatse Story by the Semoya Dance Group.  On Saturday, April 16, they repeat their performance at 1pm, which will be followed by a panel discussion entitled How To Live Together in a Good Way. For more information please contact The Reach at  604-864-8087 x111 or email info at thereach.ca<mailto:info at thereach.ca> or visit thereach.ca.  Admission to these events and the exhibitions is free. The Reach is located at 32388 Veterans Way, Abbotsford.

-30-

Kat Wahamaa
Cultural Programs Manager
t 604 864 8087
f 604 864 8048

The Reach
Gallery Museum Abbotsford
32388 Veterans Way
Abbotsford, BC V2T 0B3
thereach.ca<http://www.thereach.ca/>

[cid:image001.gif at 01CBE895.BFBE1DF0]<http://www.thereach.ca/>

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