The Department of Art + Design at Trinity Western University is pleased to present Holder of Stories, an exhibition of new works by multidisciplinary, Northwest Coast Indigenous artist, Sus Cho–Randall Bear Barnetson. Holder of Stories is on view September 26-November 9, 2025.
Portraying the human experience
Sus Cho comes from the village of Nadleh Whut’en, the Dakelh nation, and of the Duntem’yoo Bear clan and was born and raised on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Coast Salish peoples. Through the visual language of Northwest coast art and rich storytelling traditions, Sus Cho’s paintings and sculptures encompass the spectrum of human experience, from grief to gratitude. Holder of Stories brings together several distinct bodies of work into a single exhibition speaking to the artist’s role in holding and sharing stories– each artwork is a gift given and received.
Remembering women and children
Paintings like Things Unseen–for the 215 Children, carry the artist’s grief at the discovery of unmarked graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School and prayers for healing. Likewise, Red Dress, holds personal and collective grief at the disappearance and murder of Indigenous women, girls and two spirit peoples in Sus Cho’s family, the community of Nadele and across North America.
Of the work Sus Cho says “This design was created for my Aunty Serina. Portrayed within the red dress are all of the five clans of my home community Nadleh Whut’en. I wanted to show that this scourge against Indigenous peoples isn't just a North America wide problem, but also a Nadleh problem.”
Community stories
The exhibition also contains works made for and gifted to particular family and community members, telling stories of connection and relationship. The monumental painting Mother Bear was a gift painted for Sus Cho’s mother as a message of encouragement and strength following her father’s passing—reminding her of her connection to family and her home community of Nadleh. Other works like Red Hawk, created for and gifted to Sus Cho’s dear friend Jenny, show her role in the community as “bear[ing] the wings of hope.”
In this exhibition, Sus Cho, holds stories of grief, mourning, hope and celebration together through a powerful visual language, creating space for pain and healing to coexist.
Holder of Stories runs from September 26-November 9 at the SAMC Gallery on Trinity Western University’s Langley Campus. Exhibition and events are free and open to the public.
Closing Reception: November 7, 7-9pm
Red Willow Fish Trap Woman project
In addition, the School of Nursing is hosting a special installation of the Red Willow Fish Trap Woman project in the SAMC Gallery. The project is part of the Indigenous Graduate Education in Nursing Education gathering.
Red Willow Fish Trap Woman was co-created by Elder Colleen Seymour, Lisa Bourque Bearskin, Patti Smith, Musayett Musayett, and community members and students. This temporary installation is part of a project inviting students and faculty to engage in meaningful responses to the violence documented in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report.
For exhibition opening hours, please visit the Norma Marion Alloway Library page. To see current and previous exhibitions, please visit the SAMC Gallery.
About the SAMC Gallery
The SAMC gallery was founded in 2017 and is the main exhibition space for the Department of Art + Design at Trinity Western University’s School of Arts, Media and Culture. It hosts exhibitions of two professional artists and designers per year as well as two student exhibitions. The gallery is an important pedagogical space for the department of Art + Design, exposing students to diverse professional art practices while also serving the wider campus community and the Langley public. The gallery is located in the Norma Marion Alloway Library building, directly adjacent to the Learning Commons, positioning it as an important learning space for the entire campus community. Learn more at the SAMC Gallery.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students for life. Uniting faith and reason through Christian teaching and scholarship, TWU is a research institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the humanities and sciences as well as in several professional schools. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn. For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.