Kathleen Hill and Maggie Tchir tackle big issues in their installation work – Cosmic House: Point of Return, which is currently on display at the Grand Forks Art Gallery.

The two West Kootenay artists collaborated on the work, which examines issues of environmental degradation and materialism.

The audience is invited to step into the work through a door way framed by the “Green Man,” an image Hill said she’s been thinking about for some time. The Green Man is a symbol that’s found in many different cultures around the world.

“The Green Man is in all of us,” she said. “He’s not gender specific. He is connected to the idea of fertility and creativity.”

The Green Man is a hopeful symbol as the artists tackle the big issues of environmental destruction that are plaguing our planet.

Helen Sebelius, who worked as curator on the project, said one of the messages of the work is that we “have an opportunity to stop, slow down and contemplate.”

Once one enters the first portal, there are other rooms inside exploring the issues of consumption.

Another important aspect of the work, was the collaboration between the two artists and the curator.

Tchir said the collaboration helped develop trust and allowed the artists to become less rigid in their points of view.

This openness to new ideas isn’t over now that the work has had its first showing. “It will become more collaborative as it travels,” she said.

The next scheduled installation is at the Kootenay Gallery in Castlegar in the fall.

“It was an honour to have it start in Grand Forks,” said Director Ted Fogg.