The Hummingbird Project a new show at the Jasper

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

To Gabriel Guevara, the hummingbird holds enough joy in its heart for the world.

She believes the symbolic power of this tiny, beautiful bird, and its mighty spirit, are reflected in a new collaborative art show at the Jasper Centre.

Eighteen artists from The Hummingbird Project, which she conceived in Ecuador during the 2020 COVID lockdown, are featured, their work expressing inspiration and rediscovery after healing from trauma and hardship.

As an artist, Gabriel’s work is showcased, including deeply personal images.

Her hope is that viewers will connect with the art, perhaps finding something to provide a balm and liberation.

“To me, there is purpose in our tragedies if we can use the experiences to help someone else. Our experiences can make us more compassionate, more understanding, and more patient because we know what it takes to face the fear of what we went through.

“Do we know someone who could benefit from our project? I would love to see the hummingbird reach every corner of the world, spreading its joy as it goes. I feel we can best heal our wounds by focusing on love, the beauty around us, and forgiveness.”

Most of the 18 artists came to a well-attended “meet & greet” reception on Sunday, September 21 at the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre. It tied in with the ethos of Culture Days.

David Jenkins, museum manager, praised the “extraordinary” quality of the art, which ranges from paintings and photographs to sculptures, origami and mixed-media pieces that incorporate feathers, shells, bones and brushwood.

He said the exhibition was full of energy, with artists “expressing the best parts of themselves”.

Jenkins introduced the artists, inviting each one to say a few words.

Clare McNab spoke about the healing waters of a childhood lake where she and her siblings would play in the summer after completing their chores. It was an escape from a cycle of violence, providing a place to swim, dive and frolic about, instilling a lifelong love of water.

Connie Phillips, responsible for creating commemorative books on the Hummingbird Project and a large scroll outlining its origin and purpose, said she had long been captivated by the twinkle of mini lights, which transport her to a haven of peace and safety. For the project, she painted the “bokeh” effect of mini lights, where the soft glow blends and blurs into a dreamy haze.

Eileen Chabot, a devotee of watercolours, and Geoff Phillips, whose art is a reflection on his faith and a journey that includes living with chronic illness, felt very privileged and pleased to have been part of the exhibition.

One of Karen Goudreau’s paintings was inspired by something that happened at her mother’s celebration of life. The blanket surrounding her mom’s urn in the ground was covered by butterflies, and after the celebration a large bumblebee landed on top of it. She learned that bumblebees can be the transition between life and death. Another painting was in honour of her father.

Kathy Schneider, who developed a passion for painting five years ago and loves to portray the peaceful image of balancing stones, was honoured to be involved in the project. She said Gabriel brought with her the spark of the idea when returning from Ecuador.

Marg Wiebe finds solace in the natural world, and saw the Cypress Hills as an obvious subject for the project, while Meryl Stock created a tapestry of mini watercolours, each one a cherished moment and tangible memory, bringing joy and happiness.

Natalie Oliphant, an emerging eco-artist in Medicine Hat, whose primary goal is to narrate stories on canvas or body forms, was inspired by a James Joyce short story to create “Eveline”, a contemporary mixed media sculpture. It evokes feelings of despair and being trapped. An exciting moment came when “Eveline” was broadcast on the big screen in Times Square, New York.

Jenkins announced that “Eveline” would be added to a row of mannikins in the Geraldine Moodie Gallery, upstairs at the Jasper Centre. Last year, Moodie (1854-1945), a photographer and entrepreneur, whose photographs are valued historical records for First Nationals and Inuit lifeways in the Canadian North-West and North at the turn of the 20th century, was designated as a national historic person.

Her story has been championed by Donny White, author, historian and retired curator, who said Moodie left a photographic legacy unequalled in its day.

The floor was then given to Gabriel Guevara (formerly Gabriel Chudleigh), who thanked her fellow artists for sharing her dream to inspire change, and Jenkins and Theresa Stoehr, office administrator, for their role in making the exhibition a reality.

She said the beauty of the hummingbird was captured in the art.

“This is not just an art show, it is our revolution, united through the love of what we do, giving the greatest of strength.”