Each year, members of the North Okanagan Artists Alternative (NOAA)—the artist-run society that operates Gallery Vertigo—are invited to come together for a pair of member exhibitions that celebrate the depth and diversity of our creative community. Our membership reflects a wide range of practices and perspectives, united by a shared passion for the arts and for expressing individual artistic vision. The works in this exhibition span photography, watercolour, printmaking, textiles, acrylics, oils, sculpture, and clay, offering visitors a rich and engaging experience of contemporary artistic exploration.

In this, NOAA’s 25th year of operation, members were invited to take part in the first members’ exhibition with a playful and celebratory brief: to combine “silver,” traditionally associated with a 25th anniversary, with the Vernon Winter Carnival’s spirited theme, Go for Gold. The resulting exhibition sparkles with imagination and interpretation, honouring both a significant milestone for the organization and the sense of community celebration that defines winter in Vernon. Adding an extra touch of joy and connection, a collection of celebratory postcards has been included to enliven the gallery’s window display.

The exhibition will be on view until February 28, and the public is warmly invited to attend the opening reception on February 5 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Join us in celebrating 25 years of artist-run collaboration, creativity, and community at Gallery Vertigo.

I am a Syilx and Secwepemc artist from Penticton, living in Vernon and I am working on a Master of Arts in Human Rights and Social Justice. As an indigenous artist, when I choose to express my Indigeneity through my art I aim to do so without being derivative of, or feeling like I’m appropriating other indigenous groups artistic traditions and style, but through expressing my authentic self. My color inspirations sometimes come from Syilx culture, the valley, and my cultures oral history. I try to evoke an emotive response with my painting in some way, sometimes by prioritizing emotion and gestures over photorealism, and sometimes with my subject choices or the spaces depicted in my work.