A new mural by q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation artist Rain Pierre will soon be installed at South Bonson Community Centre to support and celebrate local Indigenous art as well as the reopening of the new Pitt Meadows Art Gallery (PMAG).

The mural, titled “sɬə́məxʷ” (pronounced slum-ooh) after Rain’s great grand-uncle, will be installed on the outside front entrance of the South Bonson Community Centre and will also mark the reopening of PMAG at its new location at the South Bonson Community Centre. Residents should expect to see the work installed in spring 2024, and will coincide with Pierre’s first ever solo art exhibition.

“I am once again filled with pride in the work of q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation artist, our own Rain Pierre,” says q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation Chief Grace George. “As we continue to celebrate our gifts, it’s important that we see them displayed and shared within our territory. We can visually connect to the world that has been built around us. Rain’s gift is not just art, we understand it to be a part of himself, which inevitably is a part of us as a people. The meaning of this piece is significant to our community and I’m grateful to witness this sacred sharing.”

“This beautiful work by Rain Pierre will be the perfect addition to Osprey Village,” says Mayor Nicole MacDonald. “It is important to our City Council that we uplift and honour Indigenous art in our community, and we’re very excited to celebrate the reopening of PMAG in its new home with this collaboration with Rain.”

Rain Pierre is a q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation artist who specializes in spray paint art. He quit his job in the civil engineering realm to become a full-time artist in 2016 and has done a number of projects in the Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge area, including two murals near the Golden Ears Bridge for Metro Vancouver.

“This project is located right on q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation territory and means a lot to me, my family, and the q̓ic̓əy̓,” says Rain Pierre. “I decided to name this mural after my great grand-uncle sɬə́məxʷ, whose ancestral name I carry with honour and pride. This project is a tribute to my Pierre family and all the Elders and survivors.”

“The City’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan identified opportunities to further support and integrate Indigenous arts and public art into community and civic infrastructure as a priority,” says Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture Diane Chamberlain. “This mural does both, and the City is honoured to collaborate with Rain Pierre on this project.”

The mural is a commissioned piece in line with professional artist rates, funded by the City’s public art reserve. The mural will be unveiled in conjunction with Pierre’s solo exhibition at PMAG, which will run March through April 2024. Learn more at pittmeadows.ca/pmag.