Following its recently wrapped retrospective exhibition Kihl ‘Yahda Christian White: Master Haida Artist, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art prepares to present the world premiere of Every River Has a Mouth: the visual languages that connect us, guest curated by Snuneymuxw artist Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun.
On display from February 14, 2026, Every River Has a Mouth finds its flow in the concept of the river as a physical and symbolic connector, highlighting the deep cultural, linguistic, and artistic relationships between the Interior and Coast Salish peoples. Exploring the identity and evolving cultural practices of those living along the Fraser River, positioning Salish art as both vital and visionary, the exhibition brings together 13 artists working in sculpture, printmaking, textiles, painting, and mixed media, featuring leading Salish artists Susan Point and Angela George, alongside established and emerging artists.
“Every River Has a Mouth brings to focus the peoples and cultures of the territories on which the gallery is situated,” says Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun, Snuneymuxw artist, storyteller and Guest Curator. “By creating this platform for Salish artists and sharing these stories, we are able to contribute to the cultural resurgence and renaissance of Salish art and storytelling that is taking place at this very moment.”
Historically, Salish art has often been underappreciated and overshadowed by Northern Indigenous art styles such as Haida and Tlingit, known for their intricate carvings and totem poles that many people continue to associate with Indigenous art today. Salish art was specifically mischaracterized in Franz Boas’ 1897 text “The Decorative Art of the Indians of the North Pacific Coast”, which classified the cultural practice as underdeveloped and primitive. It was only in the 1960s and 1970s that traditional Coast Salish art began to receive its due recognition, through the work of Salish artists, including Susan Point, Stan Greene, Simon Charlie, Charles Elliott, and the Salish Weavers Guild.
Every River Has a Mouth features the works of artists including: Angela George, Chase Gray, Danielle Morsette, Grace Edwards, James Harry, Luke and Ryza Marston, Manuel Axel Strain, Ocean Hyland, Paige Pettibon, Susan Point, Sydney Pascal, and Taylor Baptiste.
Having worked with White-Hill, Kwulasultun as an artist featured in the gallery’s 2022 exhibition True to Place, and as a collaborator on various public programs, this exhibition marks its first collaboration with him in the role of Guest Curator, and the gallery’s first Salish-focused presentation since 2017.
Every River Has a Mouth is on display from February 14, 2026 to February 14, 2027 at Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, 639 Hornby Street. Visit billreidgallery.ca for more information on the exhibition. Opening Reception takes place February 14, from 6-8pm. Watch for a series of public programming and an exhibition publication will be announced into the run.