Curated by Alanna Edwards and inspired by the Joy Harjo poem “Remember,” remember the earth, remember the sky is a group show focusing on ancestral connections through land, air, and memory as experienced and understood by early career artists connected to this territory and in conversation with works from the Gallery’s permanent collection by Salish artists.

Using an array of mediums, including painting, digital art, sound, sculptural installation, ceramic, and natural materials, the artists reflect on themes connected to place and environment, family history and ceremonies, migration and diasporic identities, and spirituality. This exhibition also includes hands-on experiences with art, including a visitor invitation where one can contribute to an interactive sculpture, weekly piñata breaking referencing its history of celebration and ritual, a collaborative playlist where visitors can dedicate a song to their ancestors, and more.

My piece is a circular net made from invasive himalayan blackberry, gathered from an area of Paulik Park in Richmond. Working with the park's stewards, Richmond Garden Club, we removed a large patch of blackberry, stripped the leaves, and then removed the fibres from the canes. These fibres were then dried and hand-twisted into twine, which I then used to make a net. The net is held up by blackberry canes, and weighted at the bottom with beads made from local Fraser River clay.

The circular net references settler and Indigenous histories of fishing on the Fraser River, but also points to the interconnected nature of our local ecosystems. Invasive blackberry is here to stay and while it takes up too much space, it also provides food for humans, birds, and animals alike. At the same time it chokes native plants and restricts biodiverse ecologies. But attempts to remove it will potentially have unintended consequences if we don't fully understand the interconnectedness of all living beings and the complexity of our ecologies. It's a lesson in humility to be sure.