Located in downtown Vancouver, the Bill Reid Gallery is dedicated to the cultural presentation and curation of Indigenous Northwest Coast art. It is home to a permanent exhibition featuring artworks by X̱aayda (Haida) artist and jeweller Bill Reid, as well as seasonal exhibitions located on the main floor and in the mezzanine. Currently, the gallery has two seasonal exhibitions running: the first, Cradled Origins in the mezzanine, featuring emerging to mid-career First Nations artists, and the main floor showcasing Every River Has a Mouth, a reflection and celebration of contemporary Coastal and Interior Salish art.
In the main hall, the artwork from Every River Has a Mouth intermingled with the permanent exhibit works. However, they are distinguished by their form. The permanent exhibit mainly features jewelry, prints, and sculptures in the X̱aayda style (distinguished from other Indigenous artwork through its use of a black slate material, Argillite), captured within tree trunk cases. The artists featured in Every River Has a Mouth have created different types of works, including short films, fashion and textile, woodwork and sculpture, and paintings. Each of the 11 artists are from different Coastal and Interior Salish Nations, with diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds.
I could see the heart of the art rooted in traditional imagery and stories, yet being given form in new ways.
Something that this exhibition made clear to me was its goal to subvert dated stereotypical views on what Salish and Indigenous art should look like. The exhibition poses to the audience a question: “What is Salish art?” The form of the work becomes the language the artists are speaking. As I observed and experienced the art, I could see the heart of the art rooted in traditional imagery and stories, yet being given form in new ways — a reflection of art made by the people of now. For example, any of the textile pieces, including Spirit of the Taku by Susan Point, reimagine Indigenous cultural imagery within modern fashion. These artworks are a way for these artists to connect to their cultural history, with traditional practices being the bridge connecting past and present. In Point’s case, she uses Coast Salish weaving practices, creating the images of an eagle and two salmon heads, interconnected, symbolizing the interconnectedness between humans and the natural world.
One theme that stuck with me across multiple pieces was the imagery of the river. In the descriptions of the artwork, many of the artists discussed what the river meant to them as well as within the artwork. The river is ever adapting, carrying knowledge from the past forward to now. Some artworks take pieces of the past, and use them as inspiration and hope for today. the salmon have arrived by Sydney Pascal, for instance, is rooted in stories of the abundance of salmon from the past, sparking a sculpture that visualizes the imagery from history.
As I made my way through the exhibit, I had a question: Where else can I see these artworks?
I knew beforehand that there were some Bill Reid works famously located at the UBC Museum of Anthropology (namely in the Bill Reid Rotunda), as well at the YVR airport and Vancouver Aquarium. But what about the 11 artists featured in the exhibition?
Luckily, Susan Point and James Harry have public works you can see in Metro Vancouver. Point’s work can be seen in Richmond, as well as the YVR airport Canada Line station. Harry’s works include the Welcome Gate in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Water’s Edge in New Westminster. He also currently has a sculpture commissioned by the Polygon Gallery. For the rest of the artists, you can find a selection of their artworks on their respective websites.
Every River Has a Mouth will run at the Bill Reid Gallery until February 14, 2027.
