Musqueam Coast Salish artist Chrystal Sparrow selected as Envisioning Equality artist
A message from Dr. Naznin Virji-Babul, Associate Professor and Senior Advisor to the Provost on Women and Gender-Diverse Faculty, and Prof. Moura Quayle, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic Affairs
The Envisioning Equality project aims to harness the transformative power of art in public space in celebration of the accomplishments and contributions made by women and gender-diverse faculty and staff of the UBC community. The 10 recipients of Envisioning Equality will be featured through unique artwork on street banners along main campus roadways, to be launched in 2023.
Today, we are thrilled to announce that Chrystal Sparrow, a Musqueam Coast Salish artist, has been selected to create the artwork for the banners in celebration of the Envisioning Equality recipients.
Mrs. Sparrow comes from a long line of Coast Salish artists, weavers and carvers. Her late father Irving Sparrow was a master carver that passed down the tradition of Coast Salish art to Mrs. Sparrow and her brother, Christopher. Mrs. Sparrow works as a female carver who is designing traditional red cedar Houseposts and sculptures. She believes her role as a female artist is teach the importance of Coast Salish art and design through carving, storytelling and experimenting in new mediums.
Mrs. Sparrow is a traditional and contemporary artist that has her own unique feminine designing style representing simplicity, movement and elegance within Coast Salish art. Currently, she is creating new art designs using colors to represent her Cree and Shuswap heritage through beading techniques.
Please visit https://chrystalsparrow.com to read more about Mrs. Sparrow’s work.
About Envisioning Equality
For over a century, women and gender-diverse faculty and staff at the University of British Columbia have been making significant contributions to the institution. They are at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovation; they are unraveling the mysteries of life on earth; they are pushing the boundaries of creative and artistic expression; they are working tirelessly in service of the institution and its communities, and they have instigated revolutionary changes to the future of the university and to the betterment of society.
Learn more about Envisioning Equality at https://academic.ubc.ca/envisioning-equality-recognizing-exceptional-women-and-gender-diverse-faculty-and-staff-ubc.