[BCMA] Royal BC Museum postpones Orcas exhibition until 2021

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

*May 15, 2020 *



*Royal BC Museum orca exhibition *

*postponed until May 21, 2021*



*VICTORIA, BC*—The Royal BC Museum’s spectacular feature exhibition about
orcas, originally scheduled to open on May 15, 2020, will be pushed back
until 2021.



The Royal BC Museum decided to postpone the launch of *Orcas: Our Shared
Future* until May 21, 2021 as a way to include more people in the
experience, expecting that visitors, local museum-goers and museum staff
alike will appreciate this time to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.



“The *Orcas* exhibition is directly relevant to contemporary challenges
such as climate change and ocean biodiversity loss,” said Royal BC Museum
CEO Prof. Jack Lohman. “Illustrated with significant cultural and
scientific treasures, this deeper understanding of the orca explores our
associations with ancestral traditions, grief and loss, and, ultimately,
hope for the future.”

As a major player in BC’s cultural sector and Victoria’s tourism industry
(and a perennial star attraction on TripAdvisor) the Royal BC Museum has a
role in supporting BC’s economic recovery.

The museum is working in alignment with the Province and Destination BC’s
phased approach to opening up the visitor economy and welcoming tourists
back when the situation is safest and most beneficial for all concerned.

*Orcas: Our Shared Future* is a deep dive into the stories and science that
surround the magnificent orca. Through the exhibition, visitors will follow
the currents of ecological activism, popular culture and Indigenous beliefs
to gain a new appreciation of these sophisticated animals, the emblematic
mammal of BC’s wild coastline and apex predator of all oceans.

The postponement until 2021 will also allow the museum to fine-tune
elements of the exhibition that were designed pre-pandemic, modifying
engagement points and updating how it controls the flow of crowds.

In the meantime, the orca-fascinated public can enjoy the Royal BC Museum’s
most recent publication, *Spirits of the Coast: Orcas in Science, Art and
History*, which brings together the work of marine biologists, Indigenous
knowledge keepers, poets, artists and storytellers. *Spirits of the Coast*
is available through local bookshops, the Royal Museum Shop and online at
rbcm.ca/books <https://publications.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/>.



The book’s emphasis on three different, but interconnected ways of viewing
the orca—through Indigenous cultural traditions, science and popular
culture—reflects the tripartite perspective of the 2021 exhibition.



The Royal BC Museum will continue sharing news of orcas (and of the *Orcas*
exhibition) on its social platforms: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.



                                                           -30-



*About the Royal BC Museum:  *The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s
human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding
of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for
reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling
the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Located in
Victoria on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees and
Xwsepsum Nations), we are a hub of community connections in BC–onsite,
offsite and online–taking pride in our collective histories.



*Media contact:*

news at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca



[image: Twitter_logo_blue]@RoyalBCMuseum <https://twitter.com/RoyalBCMuseum>
 royalbcmuseum <https://www.instagram.com/royalbcmuseum/> RoyalBCMuseum
<http://www.facebook.com/RoyalBCMuseum/>



*______________________________________________________________________________________________*

*Erik Lambertson *      Corporate Communications Manager  |  Marketing,
Sales and Business Development

ROYAL BC MUSEUM
Traditional Territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations)
675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9W2
T 250 387-5051    |   F 250 387-0102
ELambertson at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca   |  royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
<https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca>

Join us on:Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/RoyalBCMuseum>  | Twitter
<https://twitter.com/#!/RoyalBCMuseum>  |  Flickr
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/36463010@N05/>  |  Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/royalbcmuseum/>
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