Artist Thomas Cannell grew up on the Musqueam Reserve and he attended Point Grey secondary, as did his wife, Jessica, and his mother, respected First Nations artist Susan Point.
Cannell鈥檚 fondness for Kerrisdale is one of the reasons he鈥檚 so delighted to be creating banners with a First Nations theme for the village.
The banners will line the streets to coincide with National Aboriginal Day June 21.
As the Kerrisdale Business Association prepares to celebrate Canada 150, the anniversary of this country鈥檚 confederation, it鈥檚 taking a cue from the City of Vancouver. It is calling the milestone event Canada 150+ to ensure it includes the First Nations peoples living on this land long before it was settled.
Cannell and his family live on the Musqueam Reserve, and he manages his mother鈥檚 studio, Coast Salish Arts. In designing the banners his goal was to showcase the vibrancy of the neighbourhood. He adds there are many preconceived ideas of what First Nations art is or should be.
鈥淲ell, in this case I am trying to convey that by using time immemorial design elements, I can make it whatever I want it to be. And even better, different for each viewer to interpret,鈥� says Cannell. 鈥淚 wanted this design to be a celebration of colour, a symbol of people mixing together beautifully, a celebration of life. I remembered the colours of the beautiful flowers that fill the pots along the sidewalks in Kerrisdale during the summertime, in a way that pleases my senses and mind aesthetically. Hopefully my banner design does the same for other people.鈥�
