Daily starting at Sunset
River of Voices
A Joint Outdoor Public Art Initiative by UBC Okanagan, the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, and the Okanagan Nation Alliance
Kelowna Artwalk & Urban Screen Display
Exhibition Runs: March 2 - June 21, 2026
Open to the public, no admission required
Ceremonial Celebration: March 22, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
This outdoor public art installation features digitized works by syilx artist David Wilson, alongside audio recordings from participating syilx Knowledge Keepers, artists, and community members. The exhibition uses technology and art to spark community conversation, foster intentional placemaking, and deepen connection to the land and waters of the Okanagan.
A River of Voices is a joint initiative by UBC Okanagan, the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan (ARTSCO), and the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), developed in collaboration with the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) and the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP). The project brings together Indigenous knowledge, academic research, and community perspectives to deepen public understanding of riparian health, ecological connectivity, and climate resilience.
Riparian systems—where land and water meet—are among the most productive ecosystems in the Okanagan Valley, yet they are also among the most stressed. As communities grow and landscapes change, these corridors are increasingly impacted by habitat loss, fragmentation, and intensifying climate pressures such as wildfire, drought, and flooding.
Designed as a sensory and reflective journey through Kelowna’s Cultural District, the ArtWalk draws attention to what riparian zones quietly provide every day: cleaner water, richer biodiversity, and natural resilience in the face of environmental change. Through light-based artworks, sound, and digital storytelling, the exhibition invites the public to consider their relationship to these living systems and the shared responsibility of stewardship.
About the Artists
The exhibition features audio recordings from participating syilx Knowledge Keepers and community members woven throughout the installation, offering teachings and lived experience grounded in relationship to land and water. The works of David Wilson, a syilx artist whose work reflects Indigenous relationships to land, history, and cultural continuity, are translated into large-scale digital form for public presentation in the exhibition.
Voices
Delaney Hall – Knowledge Keeper – Syilx Okanagan Nation
Dawn Machin – Knowledge Keeper – Syilx Okanagan Nation
Elliott Tonasket – Knowledge Keeper – Syilx Okanagan Nation
Grouse Barnes – Knowledge Keeper – Syilx Okanagan Nation
Jennifer Rogers – Beaver Restoration Assessment Lead – B.C. Wildlife Federation
Mathieu Bourbonnais – Assistant Professor – UBC Okanagan
Michael Bezener – Habitat Connectivity Coordinator – Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP)
Pamela Barnes – Knowledge Keeper – Syilx Okanagan Nation
Rose Caldwell – Knowledge Keeper – Syilx Okanagan Nation
sk̓awílx Alexis – Knowledge Keeper – Syilx Okanagan Nation
Creative Team
Aleksandra Dulic – Artistic Director, Video Composition – Professor, UBC Okanagan
Amir Rahsaz – Video Recording – MA Student, UBC Okanagan
Amira Ahmed – Content Editing, Video Recording – PhD Candidate, UBC Okanagan
Caio Shindo – Video Editing and Recording – MA Student, UBC Okanagan
Christopher Anderson – Sound Composition – PhD Candidate, UBC Okanagan
David Wilson – Paintings – Syilx Okanagan Nation
Kailee Fawcett – Curatorial Assistant – Arts Council of the Central Okanagan
Kasey Moran – Ecosystems Project Manager – Okanagan Nation Alliance
Kirsteen McCulloch – Producer – Director, Arts Council of the Central Okanagan
Marria Correia – Project Manager – Postdoctoral Fellow, UBC Okanagan
Miles Thorogood – Sound Director, Composition – Assistant Professor, UBC Okanagan
Obiajulu Nwosisi – Video Editing – MA Student, UBC Okanagan
Yashvardhan Joshi – Sound Composition – Undergraduate Student, UBC Okanagan