In The Gallery: The Witness Blanket
January 26, 2024–March 10, 2024
Inspired by a woven blanket, the Witness Blanket is a large-scale work of art. It contains hundreds of items reclaimed from residential schools, churches, government buildings, and traditional and cultural structures from across the country. Each piece of the Blanket tells us about a specific experience from more than 130 residential schools that operated across Canada for over a century. From January 26 to March 10, we’re hosting the touring replica of the Witness Blanket in the Main Hall.
The effects of the residential schools live on. They can be seen in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, relationships, attitudes, and behaviours. By bearing witness to these stories, you carry their truth forward into a future that takes responsibility for the injustices of the past.
Plan your visit: Stop by during regular hours to take a self-guided tour of the Witness Blanket, explore our programs and resources, bear witness, and reflect. More details about the exhibit will be available on our Art Gallery page in December.
Content warning: the Witness Blanket and its stories address themes of racism and cruelty. If you are a Residential School Survivor or family member in need of support, a national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 1-866-925-4419.
The Witness Blanket, an exhibition based on the art of Carey Newman and developed in collaboration with, and circulated by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (Winnipeg, Manitoba).
Hosting this exhibition is possible thanks to the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the West Vancouver Memorial Library Foundation.
