Surrey Art Gallery hosts Atheana Picha: Salish Weaving Residency to September 3

Nash’mene’ta’naht weaver’s work includes ceremonial hand-spun sheep’s wool blankets

SPONSORED POST BY Surrey Art Gallery

Youth Blanket (Brown and Blue) by Atheana Picha (2022), hand spun wool. Photo by Atheana Picha.

Surrey Art Gallery announces the opening of Nash’mene’ta’naht Atheana Picha: Salish Weaving Residency, on now until September 3. Open invitation sessions take place with Picha on select Thursdays from 1 pm to 3 pm: July 13 and 27, and August 10 and 17.

Picha brings her loom and weaving supplies to the Gallery for an eight-week summer residency. Inspired by learnings from elders and teachers, by her own family history, and from researching belongings of her ancestors, Picha continues to contribute to the legacy of Coast Salish art.

Salish weaving is a time and labour-intensive process, one that laid dormant at Musqueam for years. Through mentoring under xwməθkwəy̓əm Musqueam weaver and artist qwasen Debra Sparrow since 2020, Picha keeps the art of traditional weaving alive.

With experience hand-spinning and hand-dyeing sheep’s wool, Picha has woven blankets as ceremonial gifts for babies, youth, and adults, as well as headbands and weavings for utilitarian uses.

More information can be found here.

Post sponsored by Surrey Art Gallery.