LIFTing the Community
Retired Catskinner Chairs Find New Life As Works of Art with LIFTing the Community
Outdoor Exhibit: Whistler Village and Upper Village | FREE, all ages | June – August, 2021
Auction: LIVE ONLINE | On now – September 7, 2021
Audain Art Museum, Dave Petko & Liz Thomson
Proceeds will benefit: The Audain Art Museum
The Audain Art Museum boasts a comprehensive Permanent Collection of the province’s most celebrated artists. Exemplifying the richness of cultural difference in Canada, the collection takes visitors on a transformative visual journey from the late 18th century to present.
Artists: Dave Petko & Liz Thomson
Dave Petko and Liz Thomson have collaborated on large-scale art installations around North America for festivals including Tortuga Music Festival, Pemberton Music Festival, Lost Lands Music Festival and Bass Coast Music Festival. They use recycled and upcycled materials in their art.
Would you like to see this chair in person? Look for chair #6 on the map.
*As this is an outdoor exhibit, all chairs will be touched up by the artists before going to their new home. Find our more about the auction
Bid on this LIFTing the Community chair!
Discover the story behind the chair and find out more about the artist and organization:
Paired with artists Dave Petko & Liz Thomson
Dave Petko and Liz Thomson have created large-scale art installations around North America for music festivals such as Tortuga Music Festival, Pemberton Music Festival, Lost Lands Music Festival and Bass Coast Music Festival. They are both skilled at using recycled and upcycled materials in our art. They are both painters, builders, make multimedia artworks as well as digital artwork.
Dave is an established local artist with 25+years of experience, and owns, operates and tattoos at Black Ohm Tattoos in Function junction for the past 24 years.
davepetko.com | facebook.com/Dave.Pepe | @skull_boy
Audain Art Museum
Established in 2016, the Audain Art Museum is a leading arts organization founded upon the major philanthropic gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa. Located in Whistler, British Columbia and designed by the internationally-renowned firm Patkau Architects, the AAM boasts a comprehensive Permanent Collection of the province’s most celebrated artists. Exemplifying the richness of cultural difference in Canada, the collection takes visitors on a transformative visual journey from the late 18th century to present. Highlights include hereditary Haida Chief James Hart’s The Dance Screen (The Scream Too), an exceptional collection of historical First Nations masks, and key examples of the Vancouver photo conceptualism movement. In addition, the Museum hosts dynamic exhibitions from around the world.
audainartmuseum.com | facebook.com/audainartmuseum | @audainartmuseum
LIFTing the Community
Local artists have transformed 15 retired Catskinner ski lift chairs into works of art, reflecting the theme of belonging as perceived by 15 community groups that actively contribute to community life. LIFTing the Community has been created to enhance the sense of belonging in Whistler and the Sea to Sky. Whether Whistler is home for a season or a lifetime, a sense of belonging benefits us all. In our ever-growing and changing community, wellness, connection and a sense of home needs to be fostered, practiced, discussed and experienced by our community.
With support from Vail Resort’s Epic Promise fund, in partnership with Tourism Whistler and the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, Arts Whistler has paired some of the Sea to Sky’s most exciting artists with 15 community groups to reimagine trusty old Catskinner lift chairs into compelling works of art. Tourism Whistler recently provided space for the artists to work in the Whistler Conference Centre.
The reimagined chairs are on display throughout the summer in Whistler Village for people to explore, experience and discover their own spirit of belonging. Chairs will be auctioned off with the funds going to the community organizations to support their programs that support community belonging and wellbeing.
Learn more about all of the participating community groups and creative artists paired with them:
- Arts Whistler | Anna Lynch
- Audain Art Museum | Dave Petko & Liz Thomson
- AWARE | Ben Poechman
- Kids on the Move | Kris Kups
- Mature Action Community | Tonnja Kopp
- The Point Artist Run Centre | Sherry Klassen
- Squamish Arts Council | Kendra Hicks
- Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre | Taka Sudo & Dominique Nahanee
- Whistler Adaptive Sport Program | Vanessa Stark
- Whistler Blackcomb Foundation | Mike Tyler & Bob Van Engelsdorp
- Whistler Community Foundation | Stan Matwychuk
- Whistler Community Services Society & Laura Scarr
- Whistler Museum and Archives | Alyssa Bruijns
- Whistler Public Library | Michaela Ivancova
- Whistler Youth Centre/Alphabet Soup | Ace Mackay-Smith & Mercedes Nicoll
Take yourself on a tour and discover all of the chairs for yourself!
Save the map to your phone | Download the full printable brochure
With thanks to our sponsor Epic Promise, and project partners:
Thanks to Neutron Factory Works for production support.
Accommodation provided by:
