Indigenous artist Scott Kwah is set to debut a deeply personal exhibition titled "A.R.E.N.A. babies" at the Salmon Arm Art Gallery, running from April 11 to June 16, 2026. The installation centers on 18 hand-cast concrete figures seated on vintage chairs that emit audio of fragmented, childlike voices questioning their origins and loss of language. The work directly confronts Kwah’s history as a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, specifically referencing the Adoption Resource Exchange of North America (ARENA) program that facilitated the cross-border displacement of Indigenous children.
This exhibition serves as a critical artistic reclamation of a traumatic period in Canadian history where over 20,000 Indigenous children were removed from their families and placed into colonial welfare systems. By transforming these systemic failures into a sensory installation, Kwah provides a space for collective mourning and resilience. The show highlights the ongoing role of regional art galleries in facilitating difficult conversations about reconciliation, identity, and the lasting impact of colonial policies on Indigenous communities.