PORTALS is a new collaborative art project coming to Squamish in October 2025 as part of the Squamish Art Walk.
Twenty-one artists and collaborators are participating in PORTALS, which will showcase 45 original art pieces, including photography, painting, music, video, and ceramics. The project will feature well-known, new and upcoming local artists. “I enjoy using my photographic skills to work with other local creatives on a very unique project,” said Brian Aikens, a local photographer.
PORTALS will be an immersive, multi-sensory experience designed to support personal transformation. It will take participants on a journey to help them navigate life’s transitions with greater ease and resilience by providing a space for embodied exploration. The groundbreaking art installation is the work of the Verge Art Collaborative, a new community-based nonprofit art organization.
“Art in times of great turmoil is a way to give people hope and build community. We started the Verge Art Collaborative to bring all kinds of artists together, to support one another and create public art in support of wellbeing and mental health,” said Erica Otto, the director and project lead for PORTALS.
Inspired by the archetypes of the Tarot, PORTALS explores the thresholds between archetypes where transformation occurs, and the stories that transcend us as individuals. “I hope others see parts of themselves reflected in this project—the struggles and the joys that come with life’s transitions. I want them to feel less alone, recognize our shared humanity, and find a bit more comfort in the idea of change through what we’ve created,” says ceramic artist Ashley Dodd.
The process will be documented online so the community can participate in the creative journey. “To contribute to this bigger storyline alongside other artists means my work evolves a little bit each time I see a new piece of the puzzle, a new art piece – we’re all shaping this narrative together,”says Helen Beynon, who is contributing poetry to the exhibit.
The most significant barrier to creating art is securing funding. The collaborative was fortunate to have been awarded a Squamish Arts Grant, which covers only a tiny portion of the budget needed to pay the artists for their work and meet all other exhibit costs.
Currently, the group is focused on a crowdfunding campaign they launched through Kickstarter to help fund the project. It is a way for the community to contribute to the project: to help fund it and, in the process, receive art created for the exhibit by talented local artists. There are several reward tiers and one-of-a-kind items. A contribution also counts as your ‘donation’ to enter the event in October.
The exhibit will be open to the public and accessible by donation. “Because we believe in communities of care, we are donating part of the proceeds from the exhibit entrance donations to Pearl Space,” says Erica.
