History comes to life in uniquely contemporary ways in a new exhibition at the New Westminster Museum and Archives.
The Living Archive exhibition launches with an opening reception on Thursday, June 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The exhibition is the culmination of a program that brought together nine youth artists, ranging in age from 17 to 24, to delve into the museum’s collections and create original artwork based on their findings.
They were mentored by lead artist Cindy Mochizuki, who says visitors to the show will see “a range of different responses to the museum that allow us to experience things forgotten and invisible, whimsical and still very much alive.”
One of the artists involved is New Westminster resident Cherry Lu, who says her objective was to highlight “the undiscovered spaces” within the museum and archives.
She created text-based art that highlights the “scratches and dents” in the museum and explores “the ordinary and overlooked as part of history through poetic gestures and a bit of playfulness.”
Another of the artists was Harrison Tom, who brought his background in biology to the table. For him, the process was about exploring the idea of museums themselves: “as concepts and what that meant.”
For Roni Kim, meanwhile, taking part in the Living Archive was a chance to create conversations about other stories in our history – stories that might not be told in the museum. Kim, who’s in the fine arts program at the University of Victoria, used the Living Archive experience to create an animation and audio work about the story of Amelia Douglas, the wife of James Douglas – exploring the fact that both the Douglases hid their mixed-race identities in order to maintain their status during colonial times.
The opening reception is tonight (Thursday) from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is free, and there will be light refreshments and a cash bar.
Artists will also be on hand Thursday, June 30 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. for a panel discussion about the project.
Some of the artists will also be offering public workshops in July and August. You can follow the artists’ journeys at www.livingarchives2016.tumblr.com.
To check out the exhibition, drop in to the museum at the Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St. It’s open to the public every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays to 8 p.m. Admission is by donation. The exhibition is open until Sunday, Aug. 21.
For more information, call 604-527-4640.
