When painter-carver Levi Purjue unlocked the doors of a downtown Gibsons gallery on Aug. 4, he wasn’t just reviving a beloved art space—he was staging the next chapter of his Tahltan and Shoshone heritage for national television. The artist’s takeover puts Indigenous tradition at the heart of the Sunshine Coast’s creative scene while setting the stage for an upcoming TV series.
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Art Galleries
New Gibsons gallery owner carves out TV role teaching tradition (BC)
Key Takeaways:
- Downtown Gibsons art gallery reopened under new—yet familiar—management.
- The new proprietor is Levi Purjue, a painter and carver.
- Purjue is a member of the Tahltan Nation and a descendant of Nevada’s Shoshone people.
- The reopening took place on Aug. 4.
- Purjue will spotlight his cultural heritage in an upcoming television series.
A New—but Familiar—Door Opens
On Aug. 4, the glass doors of a downtown Gibsons gallery swung open once more, welcoming visitors back into a space long known for celebrating local creativity. The relaunch marked a change in ownership, but not in spirit: painter and carver Levi Purjue, already a recognizable name on the Sunshine Coast art circuit, has taken the helm.
The Artist Behind the Counter
Purjue brings more than fresh paint to the walls. As a member of the Tahltan Nation and a descendant of Nevada’s Shoshone people, his work blends traditional motifs with contemporary technique. His carvings and canvases, many of which have appeared in regional shows, draw directly from family stories and ancestral landscapes.
Heritage in Every Stroke
“Preparing to broadcast his cultural heritage on an upcoming television series,” Purjue sees the gallery as both studio and stage. Each mask, panel and brushstroke echoes a lineage that links British Columbia’s North with the deserts of Nevada—a dialogue between two Indigenous histories separated by geography but united by blood.
From Gallery Floor to Television Screen
The next venue for that dialogue will be the small screen. While details of the forthcoming series remain under wraps, Purjue confirms its core mission: to “broadcast his cultural heritage.” Viewers can expect the same marriage of craft and narrative that fills his gallery, only now reaching audiences far beyond Gibsons’ seaside streets.
What It Means for Gibsons
For the town’s art community, the reopening is more than a change of signage. It signals continuity rooted in heritage, a reminder that tradition can evolve without losing its voice. As tourists and locals step inside, they’ll find not just paintings to purchase, but stories—soon to be televised—that travel from the carving bench all the way to living rooms across Canada.
