Intertidal Kinning Festival
August 2, 3, 9, 10 & 11
Intertidal Kinning: Celebrating & Protecting the Fraser Estuary
The Fraser Estuary is a vital ecosystem that sustains a diverse array of marine and land-based species, including humans. Recognizing the importance of caring for this precious and endangered place, this event series aims to celebrate the estuary’s splendor, encourage diverse ways of understanding its significance, and invite event participants to make meaningful steps to safeguard it for future generations.
The title of this series comes from KINSHIP: Belonging in a World of Relations, a five book essay series published by the Center for Humans & Nature Press, edited by Gavin Van Horn, Robin Wall Kimmerer and John Hausdoerffer. The series was created to foreground the concept of ‘kinship’ as a verb – kinning: “….In Kinship: Earth -and everything within it, including all that creates what we call earth – is a verb. All is in motion; all is relating.” As book’s introduction so eloquently states, “…Kinning is cultivated by humans, as one expression of life among many, many, many others, and it revolves around an ethical question: how to rightly relate?”
In gathering at the Blue Cabin over the course of two weeks as tides ebb and flow, those who join and participate in this series will actively work together across disciplines, ages, backgrounds, and species – kinning to better understand practices of belonging with, and amongst, each other and all kin of the estuary. Join us!
Programs take place at the Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency (4280 Bayview St, Richmond, BC), unless otherwise stated.
Youth Banner Making Workshop
August 1, 2024 from 1-2:30 PM
Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency (4280 Bayview St, Richmond, BC)
Join artist Keely O’Brian for a free banner making workshop at the Blue Cabin! In this relaxed hands-on art workshop, participants will create banners using found poetry, fabric painting, and stamping. We will begin by learning about the Fraser River Estuary and local habitat restoration projects. This theme will inspire the creation of hand painted banners to be displayed publicly at the Blue Cabin.
Workshop space is limited, to RSVP please email Ihomehea@gmail.com.
Keely O’Brien (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Richmond, BC, on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm / hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking peoples. Her practice incorporates intricately handmade objects with innovative theatre creation. Devoted to a thoroughly DIY process, Keely’s work includes immersive installations, imaginative ephemera, and interactive experiences. She often collaborates with community members who may not consider themselves artists, and invites the public to participate in unusual meaning-making experiences.
Green Seeds Musical Society Performance
August 2, 2024 from 7-8 PM
Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency (4280 Bayview St, Richmond, BC)
Join Erszi Institorisz from the Green Seeds Musical Society for a performance at the Blue Cabin, celebrating the intersections of environmental advocacy and music!
Erzsi Institorisz, a local musician and environmental advocate, brings a unique blend of music, art, and nature awareness to the community. As the co-founder of Green Seeds Musical Society, she uses her talents to engage children and youth in environmental empathy, preparing them to be tomorrow’s environmental stewards. A gifted multi-lingual singer-songwriter, Erzsi is not just an artist but a dedicated environmentalist. She’s a Climate Reality Project Leader and actively involved with the Richmond and Vancouver Climate Hub. Her environmental commitment extends to her roles with the David Suzuki Foundation as a ButterflyWay Project Ranger and as a board member of Urban Bounty. Discover more about Erzsi’s work and join her environmental journey at www.erzsi.ca.
GreenSeeds Music is a society of musicians, artists, and teachers collaborating to inspire youth
to express love and care for nature through music, the arts and multimedia.
Miyawaki Forest Walk
August 3, 2024 from 11 AM–12 PM
Meet at 2538 River Rd, Richmond, BC
Join us for a walk in the Miyawaki Forest with Nica Derakh. Learn about local biodiversity and the different ways local forests help to sustain the Fraser Estuary.
Space on the walk is limited, to RSVP please email Ihomehea@gmail.com.
Estuary Storytelling Night
Cancelled
Estuary Symposium
August 10, 2024 from 11 AM – 2 PM
Join us for presentations by Fraser Estuary Research Collaborative scholars on research connecting to environmental concerns in the estuary.
Lumen Photography Workshop with Desirée Patterson
August 11, 2024 from 2-4 PM
Learn how to make Lumen Photography with gathered material in this workshop led by Desirée Patterson.
Desirée Patterson is a multifaceted Canadian photographic artist, whose creative expression transcends through photography, installation, sculpture, performance and public art. Residing in Vancouver, BC, on the ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, Patterson’s self-taught journey in art began amidst a profound global expedition through forty countries. This journey not only enriched her cultural perspective but also exposed her to the pressing realities of environmental and societal challenges. These experiences deeply impacted her, serving as a catalyst for the themes and direction of her art practice. Her artistic process is both rigorous and exploratory, involving extensive research that often incorporates scientific findings into her art, creating a unique fusion of aesthetics and empirical knowledge. Patterson’s approach is characterized by adept image capture and meticulous post-production techniques that transform form, shape, and orientation into unified compositions.
Central to Desirée’s work are themes of sustainability, environmental stewardship, social justice, and the critical examination of humanity’s discordant relationship with the natural world.
Sunset Collective Listening
August 11, 2024 from 7-9 PM
Come and listen together to excerpts from the Estuary radio on currentsandwaves.ca during sunset at the Blue Cabin.
To RSVP for programs, please contact Ihomehea@gmail.com with your name and which event you are interested in attending.
Festival Venue and Partner:
BLUE CABIN COOPERATIVE is a mobile artist residency located in Vancouver British Columbia on Canada’s Pacific Coast. Currently located on a floating platform at Imperial Landing in Steveston Village, the residency gives the artist a unique perspective on the city from the water. The deckhouse is an off the grid home with modern appliances and comforts and a 360-degree view of the harbour, while the historic cabin acts as a studio for the artist’s activities. Located on the foreshore in close proximity to shopping and amenities, the Blue Cabin provides a home base in this waterfront community within the City of Richmond. The six to eight week time frame allows the artist time for solo production as well as opportunities for engagement within the community. www.thebluecabin.ca
Intertidal Kinning is supported by Deux Mille Foundation, University of British Columbia’s Partnership, Recognition and Exploration Fund, the BC Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.
Image: The Fraser Estuary, photographed by Viola Provost, 2023.