Interview with Perry Rath
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11950
- Date Range
- May - June 2021
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- textual record
- Scope and Content
- Interviews with teacher and artist Perry Rath, recorded May 26 and June 9 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Cassandra McKenney, BVM oral history intern. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, PDF bibliographic form, photo from day of interview, PDF and .docx copies of question pre…
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Cassandra McKenney
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.12
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 2.22 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- May - June 2021
- Scope and Content
- Interviews with teacher and artist Perry Rath, recorded May 26 and June 9 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Cassandra McKenney, BVM oral history intern. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, PDF bibliographic form, photo from day of interview, PDF and .docx copies of question prep, and .csv file of subject indexing.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Perry Rath, part 1 - May 26, 2021
Interview with Perry Rath, part 1 - May 26, 2021
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.12_Rath,%20Perry/Rath,%20Perry%202021_05_26.ACCESS.mp3
Perry Rath talks about his parents, family, family culture, and his early life in Ontario.
Heather Ingram; high school; Norman Rath; Ontario; Sarnia; Univeristy of Guelph
family; schooling; spirituality
Perry Rath talks about his early jobs and volunteer work at and after university as well as his partner through university, who joined him on many of these projects.
Campus Radio Station; Ontario Public Interest Research Group; travel; University Library
permaculture; relationships; volunteering; work
Perry Rath talks about the loss of his partner, Dawn Gugler, to a car crash, his experience with grief, and how it affected him and his art.
Australia; car crash; Celebration of Life; spirituality
Dawn Gugler; memorial bursary; travel
Perry Rath talks about his travel during University in South America, his friend's business of purchasing local crafts, and an encounter with the Shining Path revolutionary group.
craft fair; Shining Path
Bolivia; Peru
Perry Rath touches on how his experiences in high school led him to his support and advocacy for the LGBTQ community, and his life experience with grief.
Buddhist silent retreat; grandfather's death; meditation; WWOOF
grief; LGBTQ+
Perry Rath explains how he ended up moving to Smithers and his involvement with community members, odd jobs and volunteer projects. He also talks about his travel around Canada and beyond before settling down, and how he met his partner.
Joe L'Orsa; Sheila Peters; Sustainable Living Bus; The Sirens; Victoria
Gaia Project; music festivals; relationships
Perry Rath talks about how his art has drawn inspiration from natural patterns and materials.
ashes; natural patterns; Thailand
art exhibition
Perry Rath tells about his time traveling in India, Laos and Thailand and his exposure to the culture and ceremony there.
Buddhism; Laos; Thailand
alternative education; India; travel
Perry Rath describes how he came to live at the intentional community at Astlais Mountain Ranch when he first moved to Smithers.
Astlais Mountain Ranch; historical photographs; Norfolk Farms
Intentional Community; Smithers
Perry Rath discusses how his first exhibits at the Art Gallery were perceived as being new and contemporary compared to the natural landscapes and still-lifes typical of most local artists at the time. As well, he describes the different experience of being an artist in the Bulkley Valley compared to his previous homes.
community; contemporary art; found objects; historical photographs; teaching art
art exhibition; art installations; processing grief through art
Perry Rath discusses the art culture in Smithers compared to other towns in BC, and his more recent art projects.
commissions; ephemeral installations; historical maps
salmon; Smithers
Interview with Perry Rath, part 2 - June 9, 2021
Interview with Perry Rath, part 2 - June 9, 2021
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.12_Rath,%20Perry/Rath,%20Perry%202021_06_09.ACCESS.mp3
Perry Rath describes how he originally got started as the art teacher at SSS.
art galleries; Ontario; Terrace; workshops
art; Simon Fraser University; Smithers Secondary School; teacher training
Perry Rath goes over his experience as an art teacher at SSS, his own expectations, and the diversity of students attending art class.
Smithers; student expectations; teaching strategies
art; students; teaching
Perry Rath discusses his involvement with art projects outside of the classroom, including painting plywood barriers around unused buildings and the war canoe project.
artistic plywood; Rainbow Alley; war canoe
community art projects; student art shows
Perry Rath tells about the painted ceiling tiles that were up in SSS, and the student protest at their removal.
Bulkley Valley District Hospital; controversy; Nature's Pantry; protest; sit-in
art tiles; artistic legacy; school remodeling; Smithers Secondary School
Perry Rath talks about his role with the extracurricular Youth for a Better World group at the Smithers Secondary School.
biomeiler; Geodesic Dome; Sally Cunningham; social activism; Sustainability Award
youth action
Perry Rath discusses how the GSA was created through the action of the Youth for a Better World in order to protect the students at the high school from discrimination.
anti-bullying policies; Gay-Straight Alliance; Gender-Sexuality Alliance; Safe Space
LGBTQ rights
Perry Rath talks about the painting of the rainbow sidewalk and the creation of the Pride Society.
community; controversy; high school; letters to the editor; LGBTQ+ pride
Pride Society; Rainbow Crosswalk; School Pride; Smithers Pride
Perry Rath talks about how the Pride celebrations moved online to adapt to the covid pandemic.
Covid-19; Facebook Live; train car
Covid and Pride
Perry Rath discusses how the removal of the sidewalk reopened controversy and contention in Smithers about the existence of the sidewalk. As well, he talks about the importance of the symbol to community members and visitors alike.
budget cuts; Covid-19
Rainbow Crosswalk
Perry Rath talks about his involvement volunteering with the CICK community radio, including his own radio show with his children.
DJ; Lightning Guitar Monsters
CICK; radio shows
Perrry Rath speaks about how he has directed his community involvement from a place of privilege to support marginalized communities.
LGBTQ; Witsuwit'en
Perry Rath talks about his personal life living and raising children in the Bulkley Valley, and his thoughts on the people of Smithers.
children; community support; hobbies; skiing
Bulkley Valley; town dynamics