Two brothers from Fort Rupert are among the artists featured in the 2018 First Nation Cultural Art Showcase program. Dave and Johnathan Jacobson from Fort Rupert, are two of the five artists featured in this year’s showcase.
The artists will have the opportunity to interact with the public in an immersive art experience in the outdoor upper plaza of the Royal BC Museum in Victoria for a week and then showcase their artwork at a two-week art show in September.
The other artists selected are Tom Hunt Jr. of Wei-Wai-Kum First Nation in Campbell River, Toni Frank of Shishalh First Nation in Sechelt, and the Good Family from Snuneymux First Nation in Nanaimo.
The First Nation Cultural Art Showcase is sponsored by TimberWest and the BC Royal Museum.
“Congratulations to the artists selected in this year’s program,” says Jeff Zweig, President and CEO of TimberWest via press release. “We were very pleased with the number of applicants and particularly impressed by their talent. It will be our privilege to showcase the selected artists’ work and share it broadly with the public. Through these artists’ original works and witnessing the creative process, we will deepen our appreciation of their cultural perspectives and personal heritage.”
Artist profiles and artwork will also be shared over the summer on TimberWest’s blog and social media channels.
“The Royal BC Museum as a venue for the TimberWest First Nation Cultural Art Showcase allows the public to interact, engage and learn from the artists in a manner that allows for open discussion and reflection,” says Professor Jack Lohman CBE, Royal BC Museum CEO. “During the summer months, the artists will have an opportunity to work next to Master Carvers Tom and Perry LaFortune, brothers and members of the Tswout First Nation, who are carving a 25-foot totem pole. The public will have open access to all the artists to learn and engage with them about their craft and culture.”
The Immersive art experience will take place every day from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. starting July 30 and ending on August 5 at the Royal BC Museum on Belleville St. in Victoria.
The Royal BC Museum’s goal is to explore the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire.