From April until September I became the City of Abbotsford's 2025 Artist in Residence, a program that ran from April to September and was also in partnership with the Heritage Abbotsford Society in order to host a series of engaging community art activities across the city with the theme "Stories of Abbotsford" in which I had incorporated the halq'eméylem language and different Sqwélqwel and Sxwōxwiyám of the Stó:lō.
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#1: Traditional Plant Tour
Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025 Location: Heritage Abbotsford Society, Mill Lake Guest Speaker/Storyteller: Cynthia Collins, Máthxwi The first engagement session was held at Mill Lake where we were joined by Máthxwi Elder, Cynthia Collins who took us on a tour around areas of the Lake to talk about traditional plants that were used by the Stó:lō people |
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#2: Sqelá:w Steqó:ya/The Beaver and the Wolf
Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025 Location: Kariton Art Gallery This engagement session took place at the Kariton Art Gallery where participants engaged in sqwélqwel about Sqelá:w and Steqó:ya and other animals that are important to the area while painting with acrylic on canvases. |
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#3: Sxwōxwiyám/Transformation Stories
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025
Location: Eagle Mountain Park – 2570 Eagle Mountain Dr.
We traveled up to Eagle Mountain to create art pieces that reflect some of the Sxwōxwiyám of the Stó:lō people but due to stormy weather we had to end the session an hour early as the wind and rain progressed. We were able to tell a few Sxwōxwiyám about Lhilheqey (Mount Cheam) and T'xwelátse as well as learn about the origin story of the school we were at: Irene Kelleher Totí:ltawtxw “House of Learning”.
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025
Location: Eagle Mountain Park – 2570 Eagle Mountain Dr.
We traveled up to Eagle Mountain to create art pieces that reflect some of the Sxwōxwiyám of the Stó:lō people but due to stormy weather we had to end the session an hour early as the wind and rain progressed. We were able to tell a few Sxwōxwiyám about Lhilheqey (Mount Cheam) and T'xwelátse as well as learn about the origin story of the school we were at: Irene Kelleher Totí:ltawtxw “House of Learning”.
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#4: Selxwi:chel Arts & Culture Day: Community Artwork
Date: Sunday, June 8, 2025 Location: Abbotsford Heritage Society – 2313 Ware St. During the Selxwi:chel Arts & Culture Day, a community art piece was created to celebrate culture and diversity. Panels were painted by each participant on rolled canvas with acrylic paints. |
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#5: Cheláqelhelh, tlówàyèl, wáyeles! Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow!
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Location: Mill Lake/Heritage House
On National Indigenous Day, we set up an activity table at Mill Lake and had students from different schools in the area participate in creating 3 canvas pieces covered in mini square canvases for each person that would reflect how they see the world of the past, present or future.
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Location: Mill Lake/Heritage House
On National Indigenous Day, we set up an activity table at Mill Lake and had students from different schools in the area participate in creating 3 canvas pieces covered in mini square canvases for each person that would reflect how they see the world of the past, present or future.
#6: Shxwi'atl'qels/Paint!
Date: Thursday, June 26th
Location: Mill Lake Park – 339 Ware St. (Heritage House)
As a collaboration with the City of Abbotsford’s Go Play Outside program, this engagement session explored watercolour painting with pigments made from natural and invasive species. Each participant was given a swatch sheet, paint brush and small containers to create their watercolours where they would then paint those colours onto the swatch sheet. Each swatch sheet had titles of the plants in both Halq'eméylem and English.
Date: Thursday, June 26th
Location: Mill Lake Park – 339 Ware St. (Heritage House)
As a collaboration with the City of Abbotsford’s Go Play Outside program, this engagement session explored watercolour painting with pigments made from natural and invasive species. Each participant was given a swatch sheet, paint brush and small containers to create their watercolours where they would then paint those colours onto the swatch sheet. Each swatch sheet had titles of the plants in both Halq'eméylem and English.
#7: S'ólh Téméxw/Our world; Our land
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Location: Abbotsford Exhibition Park – Rotary Stadium
This session was a collaboration with the community during the Canada Day event and celebrated the land we call S'ólh Téméxw. A canvas was created depicting an untouched land with Semá:th Xo:tsa and surrounding mountains and each participant coloured, cut and placed different animals with their Halq'eméylem name around the canvas.
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Location: Abbotsford Exhibition Park – Rotary Stadium
This session was a collaboration with the community during the Canada Day event and celebrated the land we call S'ólh Téméxw. A canvas was created depicting an untouched land with Semá:th Xo:tsa and surrounding mountains and each participant coloured, cut and placed different animals with their Halq'eméylem name around the canvas.
#8: lamtl' ewolem s'átl'q/Go Play Outside!
Date: Thursday, July 24, 2025
Location: Mill Lake
This session was another collaboration with the City of Abbotsford’s Go Play Outside program and was an activity station that allowed participants to create their own puzzles by drawing and colouring their pictures on cardstock and then using puzzle dye cuts to punch out the picture into pieces. Each participant got to take their puzzles home.
Date: Thursday, July 24, 2025
Location: Mill Lake
This session was another collaboration with the City of Abbotsford’s Go Play Outside program and was an activity station that allowed participants to create their own puzzles by drawing and colouring their pictures on cardstock and then using puzzle dye cuts to punch out the picture into pieces. Each participant got to take their puzzles home.
#9: Sthéqi/Sockeye
Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Location: Mill Lake
The last session of the City of Abbotsford’s Go Play Outside program would include colouring pages I created depicting the cycle of the Sockeye Salmon. A map of Stó:lō before the draining of Semá:th X̱ó:tsa was also on display to show an example of where Sthéqi traveled.
Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Location: Mill Lake
The last session of the City of Abbotsford’s Go Play Outside program would include colouring pages I created depicting the cycle of the Sockeye Salmon. A map of Stó:lō before the draining of Semá:th X̱ó:tsa was also on display to show an example of where Sthéqi traveled.
#10: Mekw'ewát q'ép/Gather Together
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Location: The Reach Gallery
As a part of the BC Culture Days kickoff event, we were set up at The Reach Gallery for a painting demo and encouraged the public to join along by creating their own canvas pieces that they could take home with them. I was accompanied by Maryanne Landrie, Artist in Residence for the Heritage Abbotsford Society.
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Location: The Reach Gallery
As a part of the BC Culture Days kickoff event, we were set up at The Reach Gallery for a painting demo and encouraged the public to join along by creating their own canvas pieces that they could take home with them. I was accompanied by Maryanne Landrie, Artist in Residence for the Heritage Abbotsford Society.
#11: Sqwélqwel sxéles, sharing stories through Art!
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Location: Clearbrook Library
Guest Speaker/Storyteller: Ron Francis-Modeste Jr., Máthxwi
This session started with a brief recap of what was accomplished throughout the residency and we were joined by knowledge keeper and Máthxwi member Ronald Francis-Modeste Jr. who sang the Máthxwi song and shared some Sqwélqwel about his family name and origin of the song.
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Location: Clearbrook Library
Guest Speaker/Storyteller: Ron Francis-Modeste Jr., Máthxwi
This session started with a brief recap of what was accomplished throughout the residency and we were joined by knowledge keeper and Máthxwi member Ronald Francis-Modeste Jr. who sang the Máthxwi song and shared some Sqwélqwel about his family name and origin of the song.
#12: Stetís ímexstowx: Residency Exhibition
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Location: Civic Precinct
This last session was an Art Exhibition that showcased the different works that were created throughout the duration of the residency. These pieces were on display at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium during the National Truth and Reconciliation event at the civic precinct.
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Location: Civic Precinct
This last session was an Art Exhibition that showcased the different works that were created throughout the duration of the residency. These pieces were on display at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium during the National Truth and Reconciliation event at the civic precinct.
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