ABSORBING CULTURE – Ted Menzies (left), parliamentary secretary to federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, tours the Yukon Arts Centre Gallery this morning (De. 17/09) with Al Cushing, the centre’s CEO. Photo by Vince Fedoroff, Whitehorse Star.
by Joyce Majiski
The LLAMA Project’s show, Voz/Voice, is drawing visitors from all over the place, even our federal government in Ottawa. Yesterday, I was at the Art Centre Gallery showing my neighbour around the exhibitio when the CEO of the Centre, Al Cushing, came in with four men in suits. One of them was the Yukon’s Senator, Dan Lang, who had brought the others to see the gallery.
After my neighbour had left the gallery, I walked over to chat with one of the men, explaining some of the background of my work and that of Adan.
I briefly told him the story of the jaguars represented in the show. I talked about how globalization had made it impossible for people to survive off sales of coffee, vanilla and chiles in Oaxaca, and how subsequent government-led programs encouraged villagers to cut tropical forests to raise livestock (not very successfully). This in turn has led to jaguars killing livestock. It is a story about the loss of habitat, loss of culture, loss of wildlife.
Even though an artist run project has helped to reintroduce one jaguar back to its home, the problem hasn’t been solved. We discussed endangered species and spaces at risk, among other issues, and I was impressed at the level of engagement this group had with the work in the gallery and their interest in the themes of the artwork.
I found out later the man I had been speaking with was an advisor to the Minister of Finance, up for meetings in Whitehorse…. I suppose he didn’t really need a lesson on globalization.
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