How do artists impact the cultural landscape of their province? That is the question Dr. Maria Tippett explores in her new book, Made In British Columbia: Eight Ways of Making Culture (Harbour Publishing, $32.95).
In the thoughtfully researched tome, the Governor General’s Award-winning historian profiles eight distinguished BC artists who have made not just an enduring mark on Canadian culture, but whose work is intimately interwoven with British Columbia’s identity.
"Though her work didn’t receive wide acclaim during her lifetime, Emily Carr’s paintings of BC’s forests colour how we – and the rest of the world – see them today," Tippett explains, speaking by email from her home on Pender Island. "Francis Rattenbury designed the Empress Hotel and the Victoria Parliament buildings, which brought regional identity and permanence to a developing province, and Arthur Erickson evoked our country’s multicultural sense of self in his buildings that received international acclaim. George Ryga’s play, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, exposed the anguish and reality of life for First Nations women in BC, and Bill Reid’s iconic artwork changed the way British Columbians think about First Nations art."
Jean Coulthard, Tippett continues, wrote music that reflected the landscape around her and was committed to introducing the work of Canadian composers to the public, while Martin Grainger’s novel, Woodsmen of the West, based on his experiences of hand-logging in BC, wasn’t well-received during his lifetime, but has now been accepted into the canon of Canadian literature. Meanwhile, she adds, George Woodcock’s journal challenged Central Canada’s dominance over literary activity in Canada, and “virtually created Canadian literature,” as one commentator claimed.
Inspired by a sense that artists in BC are undervalued because they don’t live in central Canada, Tippett profiles not only the nationally recognized names, but the equally valuable culture makers who might be lesser known.
“There is a terrific stimulus in BC that derives from the beauty of our environment – and too little recognition of how different artists responded to it,” says Tippett. “And then we have First Nations’ People with a rich culture that has no equal in the rest of Canada.”
Made in British Columbia presents a history of the treasures found in the province's galleries, concert halls, theatres, museums, libraries and streetscapes. Featuring images of the artists and their work, the book explores the legacy of a cultural tradition as unique as the place that nurtured it.
Tippett will be in conversation about the book at Christianne's Lyceum of Literature and Art's Meet the Author series at Christianne's Lyceum (3696 West 8th) tonight, Thursday, Oct. 15 from 7-10pm. Complimentary wine and light fare will be served, and admission is $22 + GST. Books will be for sale at the Lyceum up to and during the event.
