Artists for Conservation is pleased to announce that its annual exhibit tour will be hosted from April 15 to May 24, at the Cumberland Museum & Archives in Cumberland, BC. The museum is also hosting a special preview on Friday, April 14 between 4:30pm and 6:00pm. The exhibit at the Museum explores visual narratives around natural heritage and our impact on the environment while connecting the audience with local community conservation activism.
Museum Director, Rosslyn Shipp explains, “Through visual narratives, the AFC exhibition at the Cumberland Museum & Archives provides a lens to explore our wild and natural heritage. Each artwork tells a conservation story, inspiring connection and exploring our impact on the environment. The exhibition’s diversity of voice and storytelling mediums build awareness and context for our audience, creating a connection between global and local conservation causes and community initiatives.”
Cumberland has a lasting culture of coming together as a community and standing up for its ideals. From early labour activists in the 1900s to environmental conservation today, there is a resilience within the collective to drive actionable change. When the forest south of Cumberland was slated for logging in the late 1990s, grassroots activism led to the formation of the non-profit Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS). The CCFS created a groundswell of support and has since purchased 545 acres of forest placing it under conservation covenants to ensure its future protection as a Village park. Their work continues today.
Inspiration for change comes from circumstance and is driven by a connection to place. The Artists For Conservation exhibition bridges the stories of local, national and international conservation issues through art; each artwork tells a conservation story. The exhibition will explore local conservation initiatives and reflect on the ever-expanding need to support wildlife and habitat conservation worldwide.
The following artists are featured at the Cumberland Museum:
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About the Cumberland Museum & Archives
The Cumberland Museum and Archives (CMA), nestled into the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, tells the story of the people of Cumberland — the rich, the poor, the powerful, the rebellious, the righteous and the radical.
Well known as an early coal mining town and rebranded as the Village in the forest, Cumberland is now renowned for its natural beauty and recreation activities. The CMA’s exhibits and collection explore important social, political, economic and environmental themes that reflect the museum’s understanding and representation of Cumberland’s rich history. The CMA aims to celebrate the people of Cumberland, past and present. Their stories are the very core of the museum, as integral as the objects and documents found within. These diverse voices provide an exciting, riveting, and sometimes challenging juxtaposition of perspectives within our activities, programming, and exhibitions.
The CMA looks to develop a narrative that reflects the contemporary changes in our community that highlight the shared values, aligning the past with the present to understand who we are within our current community context.
About Cumberland, BC
Beneath the shadow of the Comox Glacier, nestled at the foothills of Beaufort Range, lies the fast-growing village of Cumberland. Cumberland has an interesting history, being a coal-mining town from 1888 to 1966. This amiable community is undergoing a serious cultural transformation. Cumberland is the closest community to the Forbidden Plateau and Mt Washington, home to arts, culture, eclectic live music and world-class outdoor recreation. It is the gateway to the amazing Comox Lake.
The Cumberland Forest, a 56-hectare second-growth forest, is protected by The Cumberland Community Forest Society. The community raise funds to buy the land from an American timber company. Cumberland Forest, located southwest of Cumberland, just between Comox Lake Road and Perseverance Creek, this forest of hemlock, red cedar, and Douglas Fir is a marvel for the community; it is used for activities such as mushroom picking, hiking, walking, and world-class mountain biking. The songbirds, sword ferns, salal, and Sakatoon berry bushes make Cumberland Forest very tranquil.
https://www.discovervancouverisland.com/regions/north-central/cumberland/