Gathering Strength - A Coast Salish Art Installation at the Cadillac Fairview Building

Currently on view at Granville Square, 200 Granville Street
Open Monday to Friday, from 7:00am - 6:00pm  

In 2020, Culture|Shift—the city of Vancouver’s 2020-2029 Culture Plan, noted that “the multiple and ongoing legacies of colonization have impacted Indigenous people’s rights to practice and revitalize their cultures. Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh visibility and voice are still limited within Vancouver’s cultural ecosystem; Urban Indigenous people also experience cultural marginalization. Reconciliation and decolonization strategies are critical to address these challenges and support Indigenous arts, culture, language, and heritage.”

A new installation in the Cadillac Fairview Building, Granville Square, located at 200 Granville Street responds to this concern. It explores the history of colonial silencing and the re-emergence of Coast Salish Art traditions that began in the late 1970s. Selected artworks also feature Coast Salish design elements—circles, crescents and trigons—and demonstrate a sense of aesthetics that values balance, symmetry and naturalistic forms.

From print making to sculpture, the featured works demonstrate the importance of family teachings, mentorship and the blending of traditions through marriage.  Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh artworks feature prominently in this first installation and will be on display for a year before being exchanged for a new selection that looks at Coast Salish Art with a different lens.

The exhibition features custom-built modular pillars designed to be repurposed for future displays. Their adaptable, modular structure allows for multiple configurations, supporting sustainability by reducing waste through reusable exhibition components.

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