The Victoria Arts Council is honoured to be partnering with incredible local organizations to present NAMING A CRISIS, an exhibition in response to the ongoing deaths from toxic drugs in our community.
On April 14, 2016, BC declared a public health emergency due to rising numbers of deaths due to toxic drugs. It has been 10 years since then, and over 18,000 people in BC have lost their lives.
The Naming a Crisis community art show aims to honour these thousands we have lost. Running April 7-26 at the Victoria Arts Council gallery at the Bay Centre in downtown Victoria, the show will feature art, photography, participatory works, speaking events, workshops, and more to mark 10 years since BC’s declaration of the public-health emergency.
Participating art and artists include photographer Jackie Dives; a timeline showcasing community-building and activism over the last 10-plus years, and a tribute to the 2017 heARTspace pop-up art show; and poetry, art and events dedicated to people we have lost to toxic drugs.
The centrepiece of the show is the Naming a Crisis multimedia installation, featuring names and photos of people who have died. Organizers Stephanie Harrington and Amanda Farrell-Low, who have both lost siblings to toxic drugs, have worked with video artist Laura Dutton and spoken-word artist Marie Metaphor Specht to take the hundreds of names and photos submitted for the project and turn them into a piece that honours the individuals while attempting to show the sheer scale of this crisis.
Naming a Crisis runs April 7-26 at 1150 Douglas Street, lower level floor.
Gallery hours are 12pm-5pm, Tuesday-Sunday.
A full list of events can be found below and on the website: namingacrisis.ca, but some happenings are featured below:
- “Bites with Fight” lunch and learns with SOLID Outreach: April 8, 15 and 22 at 12pm. Lunch provided.
- Launch event: April 11, 2pm-4pm
- Good Grief: poetics for processing loss with Marie Metaphor Specht: 1pm April 12. Workshop, registration required.
- Reading with Garth Mullins; author of Crackdown: 2pm April 18.
- Closing artist talk with Laura Dutton, Marie Metaphor Specht and Kegan McFadden (Victoria Arts Council): 2pm April 26.
Naming a Crisis is sponsored by the Victoria Arts Council, Moms Stop the Harm, SOLID Outreach, AVI Health and Community Services, Substance Drug Checking and the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research.
For more info contact: Amanda Farrell-Low and Stephanie Harrington, namingacrisis@gmail.com; namingacrisis.ca
You can read the Vic News article here.
NAMING A CRISIS
7-26 April 2026
Contributing Artists: Connie Carter, Jackie Dives, Laura Dutton, Melanie Golder, Jean-Guy Okwala Hogya (1975-2020), QomQem Coastal Connections, Marie Metaphor Specht, Joanne Thompson, Nicholas Decosse Vandergugten, and Bruce Wallace.
Organized by Amanda Farrell-Low and Stephanie Harrington, with Chrystal Phan
Exhibition location: VAC temporary venue
Address: The Bay Centre, 1150 Douglas Street (lower level, bottom of escalators; across from “Winners”)
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 12noon to 5PM
Admission: by donation
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Wed, April 8, 12 pm – 1pm,
Bites with Fight: “Will this Toxic Drug Emergency Ever End?”
Join SOLID Outreach for a free weekly Wednesday lunch and learn series that examines concepts, misconceptions, and actions around the toxic drug crisis. The first talk features researcher Bernie Pauly from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) at the University of Victoria. Lunch provided.
April 9, 10, 16 & 17, 23 & 24, 2 pm – 4 pm,
Stitching as Remembrance
Join artist Connie Carter as she hosts an interactive stitching installation that honours those lost to toxic drugs. Participants are welcome to share a name to stitch or stitch one themselves, or just come sit. Drop-in.
Fri, April 10, 4 pm – 7 pm,
Queer Crafternoon linocut workshop
Make your own stamps and postcards with Queer Crafternoon. Drop-in.
Sat, April 11, 2 pm – 4 pm,
Naming a Crisis Community Reception / official launch event
Join the Naming a Crisis team, SOLID Outreach, AVI Health, Substance, Moms Stop the Harm, and others for insights about the Naming a Crisis community art show.
Sun, April 12, 1 pm – 3pm,
Good Grief: Poetics for Processing Loss
Join poet Marie Metaphor Specht for speaking, listening & writing activities. Registration required at namingacrisis@gmail.com.
Sun, April 12, 3 pm – 5 pm,
heART Space Grief and Loss Art Drop-In
Join a gathering space to talk about grief, to find support and solidarity in community, and to find ways to channel your emotions and experiences through art. Hosted by AVI educator Shae Perkins.
Tues, April 14, 1 – 3.30 pm, BC Legislature,
In Grief and Rage, join local harm reduction & advocacy groups to mark 10 years since BC’s
overdose emergency declaration. Make a sign, unwind or grab a snack in the gallery space before or after the events at the Leg.
Wed, April 15, 12 pm – 1 pm,
Bites with Fight: “Coming to Terms: Demystifying Responses to the Toxic Drug Crisis”
Join us for a panel discussion hosted by SOLID Outreach and the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and featuring
researchers Aaron Bailey, Pablo Gonzales and Nancy Henderson. Lunch provided.
Wed, April 15, 4 pm to 6 pm,
Overdose Response and Naloxone Training,
Join AVI educator Shae Perkins for a workshop covering the basics of overdose response training.
Sat, April 18, 2 pm – 3:30 pm,
Garth Mullins reading
Join Vancouver writer, activist, and podcast host Garth Mullins to talk about his book, Crackdown: Surviving and Resisting the War on Drugs. The reading opens with an open mic. A book signing follows at Munro Books.
Sun, April 19, 3 pm – 5pm,
Growth from Decay, a grief workshop
A workshop and guided conversation around grief support, rooted in death and grief as inherently connected to life and growth. Hosted
by AVI educator Shae Perkins. Registration required at namingacrisis@gmail.com.
Wed, April 22, 12 pm – 1 pm,
Bites with Fight: “Drug Policy Beyond Borders: Successes, Failures, and Futures”
Hosted by SOLID Outreach, featuring nurse Corey Ranger. Lunch provided.
Sat, April 25, 4 pm – 6 pm,
Overdose Response and Naloxone Training, hosted by AVI Health.
Sun, April 26, 2 pm – 4pm
Naming a Crisis artists-in-conversation,
Laura Dutton and Marie Metaphor Specht with Kegan McFadden
This exhibit is located at The Bay Centre, lower level | 1150 Douglas Street.