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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For Immediate Release
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sovereign Acts</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> focus of panel discussion
at Kelowna Art Gallery</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sovereign Acts: Panel Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Mariel Belanger, Cori Derickson, and Margo Tamez<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Saturday, February 22, from 2 to 4 pm | Free<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">February 18, 2020 – Kelowna, BC:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> The Kelowna Art Gallery invites the public to attend an
engaging conversation with three guest speakers, who will share their own personal interpretations of the exhibition
</span><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sovereign Acts</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sovereign Acts</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> features the art of Rebecca Belmore, Lori Blondeau, Dayna Danger, Robert
Houle, James Luna, Shelley Niro, Adrian Stimson, and Jeff Thomas, who explore Indigenous representations of gender, sexuality, and identity.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Mariel Belanger</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">,
<b>Cori Derickson</b>, and <b>Margo Tamez</b> will each present on </span><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sovereign Acts</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> before opening the floor
to a discussion. The panel event is set for Saturday, February 22, from 2 to 4 pm. It is free and open to the public.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Mariel Belanger is a Syilx-Okanagan Nation artist who is dedicated to contributing to the growth of interdisciplinary performance arts as a method to engage Indigenous community,
language, and culture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Cori Derickson is a Suknaquin-Syilx artist working in performance, sculpture, painting, multi-media, fashion design, and print making mediums.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Margo Tamez is a Dene Nde’ poet, historian, writer, and an Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at UBC Okanagan.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sovereign Acts</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> closes on March 1, 2020. It is curated by Wanda Nanibush and is organized
and circulated by the Art Museum at the University of Toronto with the financial support of the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.</span><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk25331323"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The Kelowna Art Gallery is located at 1315 Water Street in downtown Kelowna. For more information about current exhibitions, public programming or
special events, please visit www.kelownaartgallery.com or call 250-762-2226.<o:p></o:p></span></a></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk25331323"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">- 30 –<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">[Image] Lori Blondeau,
<i>Asiniy Iskwew</i> (detail), 1 of 4 digital inkjet prints, 66 ½ x 44 in. each. Courtesy of the artist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Webpage:
<a href="https://kelownaartgallery.com/sovereign-acts-discussion-panel/">https://kelownaartgallery.com/sovereign-acts-discussion-panel/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Facebook Event:
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/122592419133303/">https://www.facebook.com/events/122592419133303/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Instagram:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kelownaartgallery/">https://www.instagram.com/kelownaartgallery/</a>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">To arrange an interview, for additional high-res images, or for more information, please contact:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Media Inquiries<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Joshua Desnoyers | Marketing and Events Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Kelowna Art Gallery<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">1315 Water Street | Kelowna, BC | V1Y 9R3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">250-762-2226 ext. 305 | 250-762-9875 fax<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:josh@kelownaartgallery.com">josh@kelownaartgallery.com</a> | kelownaartgallery.com
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