Welcome to Studio sísp̓l̓k̓ Gallery where we nurture culture and artistry by “Finding your story on the Land.”
Studio sísp̓l̓k̓ Gallery predicts a future where culture, language, trust, reconciliation, healing, and honest relationships that returns to the core of our sqilx’w “of the land” way of being and knowing in the world. Through sharing tasks on the land with Embodied Story Practice, we believe we can create a just and equitable society that values and promotes the well-being of all.
Studio sísp̓l̓k̓ Gallery, an artist-run centre owned by Mariel Belanger MFA and PHD candidate in Cultural Studies at Queens university, functions as a small distribution and creation space for artists and clients wanting to learn ethical engagement and situational awareness with Syilx guest protocols insitu. Through workshops and one or two-week artist residencies, clients will access to amenities and use of a prospector tent to work in and host a pop-up exhibition. Artists will be provided access to a small workshop situated on the beach of Okanagan Lake with select natural materials and opportunities to learn ethical harvesting practices of local materials with mentorship in guest protocols. Using otherwise wasted natural material, such as tule reeds, has high environmental impact and cultural experiential value as harvesting actively assists in cleaning the water systems by reducing material decay as our ancestors did before contact.
