Ian McAllister wasn’t just visibly moved as he strolled past the vibrant artworks he unwittingly inspired at the opening reception for Images of the B.C. Great Bear Rainforest at Garth Homer Centre’s Karin Koerner Gallery.
The acclaimed B.C. author, photographer and conservationist also felt as if he were time-travelling.
“This is really wonderful,” said McAllister as he took in the Garth Homer Society’s ArtWorks exhibit showcasing a sea of rainbow-coloured works of art inspired by his imagery of B.C.’s north and central coastline.
“This was the first spirit bear picture I ever took,” McAllister said, admiring a painting of a spirit bear fishing by a stream by Josefina Mena, one of many artists overcoming developmental or physical disabilities in the widely praised visual arts program.
“It brings back this great memory of that day I spent sitting beside a salmon river waiting for a spirit bear to show up.”
The co-founder of the non-profit conservation organization Pacific Wild expressed his gratitude and dazzled dozens of admirers, including celebrated Canadian poet Patrick Lane and filmmaker Di Roberts, with whom McAllister is collaborating on an Imax film. His opening presentation included a slideshow recalling his experiences capturing images for The Great Bear Sea, the photography book he co-wrote with Nicholas Read.
The artistic beauty and natural wonder was matched by a poignant plea for preservation of B.C.’s pristine coastline echoed by the artists, many wearing No Tankers T-shirts to express their distaste for oil supertankers and oilsands pipelines.
Touching opening remarks by Amber Rainshadow, an artist and athlete with cerebral palsy, earned applause.
“We need to learn to walk in soft moccasins and lessen our carbon imprint,” said Rainshadow, who recently took up painting, following the brush strokes of her birth father. She said it was an honour being part of a group also trying to raise public awareness.
“To be stewards of the Earth does not mean we take more than we need, and to deplete the Earth of all its natural substances. It’s our responsibility to take of the world God has given us, not only for ourselves but those who come after us.”
Program co-ordinators Bonnie Laird and Suzanne Bessette beamed with pride at the achievements of participants mentored by professional artists as part of the society’s mandate to create opportunities for growth, independence and community involvement.
“It’s therapeutic in a sense, but what we’re really doing is promoting a professional program that happens to bolster self-esteem and give artists a way to express themselves,” said Laird, who co-founded the program in 1998. “They are very focused and passionate about their art.”
ArtWorks has gained a solid reputation, with exhibits annually at local venues, the annual Moss Street Paint-In and shows in Vancouver, the U.S., Japan and Scotland, where they’ll represent Canada at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year.
“It has validated our belief in their ability,” Bessette said. “They’ve proven to be amazing artists, and are recognized as such.”
All proceeds from the exhibit, which ends Dec. 20, go to the artists.
Online: pacificwild.org; www.garthhomer.com.
