Side Dancer's Gift Item Number: 3520/2 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Hand-pulled linocut print depicting a female dancer standing in the sea, with mountains and a cloudy sky in the background. Dancer is wearing a shawl, shirt and knee-length skirt; hair is down and she is barefoot. Head is tilted and right hand is raised to her ear; left hand is held out to the side. Wide curved lines extend from around her hands, touching the edges of the print. A lightning serpent is depicted below her in the sea; shown in profile. Along the bottom edge of the print the edition number, title and artist signature are written in pencil.
Artist statement: "In many of our traditional dances when sacred headdresses are used, lines of lady dancers spin in circles back and forth along each edge of the dance floor. Women are the connection between the natural and the supernatural world, and are able to pull spiritual energy onto the floor and sweep bad energy away. This print honours the ways in which women humbly play this role in many situations, staking out sacred space in our families and communities protecting the work that needs to take place."