Lopez Island residents will have a unique opportunity this July to experience museum collections up close without ever leaving the island.

On Friday, July 17, from 1:00–3:00 p.m., the BurkeMobile Mini Museum will visit the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts with Living Traditions, a free, hands-on exhibit exploring the diverse cultures of the Native Peoples of the Pacific Northwest.

Presented in partnership with the Burke Museum, the traveling exhibit invites visitors of all ages to engage directly with authentic museum collections while learning about Indigenous communities whose traditions continue to shape the region today.

Unlike a traditional museum exhibit viewed from behind glass, BurkeMobile encourages visitors to interact with educational displays, ask questions, and explore seven themes central to Indigenous life: food, fishing, community, home, tools, canoes, and the arts.

The exhibit highlights an important message—that Indigenous cultures are not simply part of history, but vibrant, living communities whose knowledge, traditions, and innovations continue to evolve.

The visit builds on LIFRC’s ongoing commitment to expanding cultural learning opportunities for island residents. Through programs such as Coast Salish: Land, Sea & Place, local youth have spent the past several years learning directly from Coast Salish educators and Tribal knowledge keepers through storytelling, language, ecological stewardship, canoe journeys, and place-based education.

BurkeMobile offers another opportunity for the broader community to engage with Indigenous perspectives and deepen understanding of the cultures that have stewarded these lands and waters since time immemorial.

The event is designed for all ages. Families, students, educators, and anyone interested in the history and living cultures of the Pacific Northwest are encouraged to attend. Visitors are welcome to stop in anytime during the two-hour program, and no registration is required.
Admission is free.

BurkeMobile Mini Museum: Living Traditions
Friday, July 17, 2026 | 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Lopez Center for Community and the Arts
For more information, contact Stephanie@lifrc.org