The Swarovski crystal family is recognizing and appreciating indigenous peoples with the unveiling of a magnificent art piece at Sparking Hill Resort Saturday afternoon.
It's a 20 ft. tall crystal tipi made from 16 glass sheets. Each sheet holds an oil painting telling a First Nations story, originally painted by local artist Ron Hall, aka “Moose.”
“We have shipped the oil paintings to Austria to the company of Swarovski and they have taken these motifs, put it on glass and finalized them with crystals,” said Resort CEO Hans-Peter Mayr.
He tried to describe the magnificence of the piece but said it’s something you have to see for yourself to truly appreciate its beauty.
Gernot Langes-Swarovski is the patriarch of the Swarovski crystal family and visionary behind the Sparking Hill Resort.
Langes-Swarovski wanted to find a special and unique way to show his gratitude to the First Nations People for allowing him to build on their natural, pristine, ancestry lands.
Mayr explained that Langes-Swarovski also wanted to respect traditions of the people who occupied the Valley for thousands of years.
The paintings capture the stories of those people.
“Each motif tells a story. For example, the food chain of the First Nations in the Okanagan. It's a real story telling item. Very soon you will see an explanation beside each motif, the meaning about it and what the artist wanted to express.”
The one of a kind Heritage Crystal Tipi will be available for public viewing at the resort.
It is estimated to cost $2 million.