The art in the General Office came from the University Art Collections which is owned and curated by the University of Victoria. This collection is an eclectic one, containing thousands of paintings, photographs, and artifacts from a wide array of artists. Each piece in the collection is unique, with its own story to tell.
The first piece to notice in the General Office is the ‘Sacred Cycle’. It is mounted on the pillar at the reception stations by the blue front doors. This piece was created by Dylan Thomas (Qwul’thilum), who was born in Victoria in 1986. Dylan is a Coast Salish artist from the Lyackson First Nation, a group traditionally from Valdes Island in the Strait of Georgia that is now located in Chemainus on Vancouver Island.
Thomas credits his artistry to his family’s continued participation in their nation’s culture and tradition. He also points to renowned Kwakwaka’wakw artist Rande Cook, whom he apprenticed under, as a major influence in his art work.
Of ‘Sacred Cycle’, Thomas has said:
This print represents the cycle of teachers and students. Eventually the student will become the teacher and the cycle continues. This cycle is critical because this is how our people’s art has survived for so many years. I used salmon to represent this cycle because of their natural cycle of life.
(Dylan Thomas, Legacy database)
Reflection Questions:
– Dylan Thomas was inspired by the life cycle of the salmon in creating this piece, what role does nature play in inspiring you?
– Thomas’s piece is built on the idea that the student will become the teacher, what skills have you mastered that you would like to teach others?