The Work Yet To Come

Curated by The 351 Collective:

Lia Candler

Ashley de Kroon

Claire Jorgensen

Chris Mockford

Sarah Nishida

Izze Perrella

Steven von Schulmann

We gratefully acknowledge the Lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples, the Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt, and the W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

What happens when we look beyond uncertainty? That was the question in all of our minds as we set out to curate an exhibition. In a time of war, illness, immense class disparity, and climate anxiety, what are we looking forward to? How do we look to navigate our current realities and futures when the world at large seems so bleak? As we live in what the media has dubbed 'uncertain times,' how can we - as students, curators, and artists - model hope?

The Late Dr. George Elmer of the Songhees Nation and W̱SÁNEĆ Dr. John Elliott gifted the University of Victoria’s First Peoples House with guiding principles. One shared principle was Leʔt šxʷ helə ʔə cə mək̓ʷ sčeʔi səʔ S,HOL EṮ MEQ EN ENÁ SE SĆȺ, “Be prepared for the work to come.” Our collective was inspired by this teaching. This call to action reminds us that our shared future is in our handsthrough the meaningful work of educating ourselves, elevating Indigenous voices, and decentering the colonial structures that led us here. The teaching also provides a sense of hope: when we acknowledge that there is still work to do, we come to understand that we have responsibilities to work towards, and we have to find the strength to set a course towards a better future.

In setting this collective intention, we realized we had to center Indigenous Peoples and future generations in this work. We are therefore grateful for the many local, emerging, and student Indigenous artists who offered their artwork and perspectives to this exhibition. We were honoured to receive a large number of submissions, from both local Indigenous Peoples as well as First Nations, Métis, and Inuit from elsewhere who now call Lək̓ʷəŋən territory their home. Through their work, these artists share how they foster resilience and sustain and build community through living relationships, commitments, and collaboration. Together, their works explore the many ways that community, home, and connection are experienced through Indigenous love on Indigenous Land.

The Work Yet to Come is an exhibition curated by a collective of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in the Visual Arts Department at the University of Victoria, who have been working together to learn about curating Indigenous art under the supervision of Dr. Heather Igloliorte, an Inuk curator. Through the process of curation, our collective of curators (Lia Candler, Clare Jorgensen, Ashley de Kroon, Chris Mockford, Sarah Nishida, Izze Perrella, and Stephen von Schulmann) examined our collective relationships to the lands, water, and people with whom we currently reside. We worked to understand our collective responsibilities to each other and to our past and future ancestors, both as Indigenous People and allies, as we all struggle under the weight of colonization.

On this journey, we were very grateful for the insights and guidance modelled by Indigenous and allied curators, Cathy Mattes, Carla Taunton, and Michelle Lavallee, who shared their time and knowledge with us.

We would like to also extend special thanks to Carly Greene, Nick Patterson, Hollis Roberts, and Natalie Rollins. Without their kindness, support, and expertise, this exhibition would not be possible.