The Su-gigyet Art installation slowed traffic considerably over the weekend, but that’s all clear now that insertion is complete.
According to the Skeena Salmon Arts Fest, this is a collaborative between master carver, Stan Bevan and his team of apprentices; Brian McKee, Kobe Antoine, and Savannah Medeiros. The other two lead artists are Northwestern BC-based wood and metal artists, Rod Brown and Mike Sorochan. Bevan’s team carved centre sculptures, featuring three wooden carvings of human forms, which are be enshrouded in aluminum and copper sculpted by Sorochan. The six 9-foot wooden salmon carvings with aluminum design elements are by Roderick Brown of Cohowood Studio.
The project was funded by the province with a grant of just over $677 000 through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport. The project is one of 31 across the province to receive funding.
Su-gigyet means “new people” in the Sm’algyax language of the Ts’msyen people. More specifically, it means “the original people embracing a new way of doing things.” The arts society says the name was gifted to the project by the late Kitselas elder, Mel Bevan, who is also the father of lead artist, Stan Bevan.