PORT HARDY, B.C- The Northern Sea Wolf needs artists.
The new ferry, which will be headed for northern Vancouver Island in the summer of 2018, is currently undergoing a refit in Victoria. On Dec. 19, BC Ferries put out a call for First Nations artists from the areas the ferry will be servicing to come forward and present designs and text for the vessel’s interior.
The ship will be running between Port Hardy and Bella Coola in the summer, with connector service once a week between Bella Coola, Bella Bella, Shearwater, and Ocean Falls. The commission of a design and writing for the vessel’s interior are the result of a partnership between BC Ferries, and the First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC).
“We are honoured to be working with BC Ferries again and facilitating commissions with First Nations artists and writers,” said Tracey Herbert, CEO at the First Peoples’ Cultural Council.
“Showcasing the extraordinary First Nations talent from this area of the province is an important acknowledgment of a unique Indigenous perspective, which is informed by the land and waters of this place. We look forward to seeing this beautiful new artwork and hearing about the legend of the Sea Wolf and the Orca.”
Artists and writers from the Nuxalk Nation at Bella Coola, the Gwa’sala Nakwaxda’xw Band and Kwakiutl First Nation at Port Hardy, and the Heiltsuk Nation are invited to submit to expressions of interest and portfolios.
The FPCC will be running the selection process, with a committee made up of artists and representatives from BC Ferries.
“From the first round of submissions, the committee will select up to four artists and four writers to be shortlisted and commissioned to propose specific design concepts,” read the release.
“From these proposals, one artist’s design and one writer’s text will be selected for final refinement, with the artwork adhering to BC Ferries’ specifications for fabrication and application.”
The deadline for expressions of interest is January 22, 2018. Shortlisted artists will be contacted and invited to submit conceptual designs by February 5, 2018, with the final selection of artists taking place in March 2018.
