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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"><img width="316" height="316" style="width:3.2916in;height:3.2916in" id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image002.png@01DD45BD.12C21E30"></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:21.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black">Xiao Han,
<i>Yee Clun's Lost Story, 1 (detail)</i>, 2017, digital photograph, 101 x 101cm. Photo courtesy of the artist. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:40.65pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black">MEDIA RELEASE</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:40.65pt"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:40.65pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black">For immediate release from</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:40.65pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black">Kamloops Art Gallery</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:40.65pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black">September 16, 2026</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:40.65pt"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"><img width="255" height="56" style="width:2.6562in;height:.5833in" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image003.png@01DD45BD.12C21E30"></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Kamloops Art Gallery recognizes the legacy of TRU’s recently closed Fine Arts Program<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><br>
</span><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">In the Rear-view Mirror
</span></i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Dieddo // Garnet Dirksen // Anyssa Fortie // Dion Fortie // Ryland Fortie // Levi Glass // Xiao Han // Robin Hodgson // Steph Patsula</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">The Cube</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">September 19, 2026 to January 9, 2027</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">On September 26, Kamloops Art Gallery will celebrate with an opening reception for
<i>In the Rear-view Mirror </i>featuring past graduates of the now closed Thompson Rivers University Bachelor of Fine Arts program. V</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">isitors are invited to join
in a casual reception in the Studios and the Atrium with live music, an art-making area, beer sponsored by Bright Eye Brewing, and wine sponsored by Privato.</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Opening Reception
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Saturday September 26, 6:30 to 8:00 pm</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <br>
</span><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Free, All Ages</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Since 2005, the Kamloops Art Gallery (KAG) has devoted one exhibition per year to the emerging artists of the Thompson
Rivers University (TRU) BFA graduating class. When Craig Willms began as KAG Assistant Curator in 2008, the BFA exhibition was the first exhibition he was given full autonomy to curate in The Cube. For the past 18 years, Willms has worked with a graduating
student of the TRU BFA class every fall to realise a professional exhibition outside the context of art school. Over the years, the exhibition format has evolved, beginning with selected works that followed a conceptual thread in that year’s group of graduates.
The current project model began in 2013, challenging emerging artists to create a new body of work and encouraging experimentation within their artistic practice. </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Together, this selection of artwork, reflects practices that were nurtured by the intensely supportive and committed faculty who
formed TRU’s uniquely generative Fine Arts program and is representative of a cohort of artists who continue to take risks, ask questions, and find ways to express themselves through their practice.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">The nine artists in this exhibition represent only a small selection of the many TRU BFA graduates who have continued to
work as professional artists, arts workers, and creative professionals; they demonstrate the significant far-reaching and expansive impacts of this program and its graduates. The work in this exhibition illustrates varying approaches to a chosen medium, both embracing
and challenging artistic traditions in photography, painting, sculpture, and performance. The exhibition brings together diverse research-based practices, incorporating explorations of cultural identity; mythology and popular culture; technological dependence; disposable
culture; masculinity and transformation; motherhood; colonization; and notions of place.
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Media Information<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Craig Willms, Curator</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">250.377.2406 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">cwillms@kag.bc.ca <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">About the Kamloops Art Gallery</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">The Kamloops Art Gallery, established in 1978, is situated on the unceded and unsurrendered lands of the Tk’emlúps
te Secwépemc within Secwepemcúl’ecw, the traditional territory of the Secwépemc people. The largest art gallery in Secwepemcúl</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">̓</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">ecw
(the Interior of British Columbia), the Gallery offers national caliber art experiences through a diverse range of accessible and affordable exhibitions, talks, tours, and studio-based programming for all ages and abilities, and boasts a collection of over
3,000 works of art. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><img width="603" height="37" style="width:6.2812in;height:.3854in" id="Picture_x0020_265712274" src="cid:image001.png@01DD45BB.E03B3380"></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:12.65pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#222A35;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">CRAIG WILLMS [he/him] </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:12.65pt"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#222A35;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">ASSISTANT CURATOR</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#222A35;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.65pt"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#222A35;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:12.65pt"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><a href="mailto:cwillms@kag.bc.ca"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Avenir Next";color:blue;letter-spacing:1.0pt">cwillms@kag.bc.ca</span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:12.65pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#222A35;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">250.377.2400 ext. 2406
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:12.65pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#222A35;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.65pt"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next";color:#222A35;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Light";color:#333F50;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">KAMLOOPS ART GALLERY<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">101 – 465 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC V2C 2A9</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">250.377.2400 | </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><a href="http://www.kag.bc.ca/"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;letter-spacing:1.0pt">www.kag.bc.ca</span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;letter-spacing:1.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">The Kamloops Art Gallery is situated on the unceded and unsurrendered
lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc within Secwepemcúl’ecw, the traditional territory of the Secwépemc people.</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 35 Light",serif;color:#333F50;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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