Erich Glendale is a First Nations artist born in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada in the year 1972. Campbell River is a coastal city on the east coast of Vancouver Island. The artist represents the Kwakwaka’wakw Tribe of the Family of First Nations.
Glendale produces the traditional cultural items of First Nation’s Art including rattles, bowls, walking sticks, masks, and jewelry.
Price range information: Works range from $500 for jewelry up to $8,000 for large carvings such as masks.
The artist began carving in the 1990s.
Glendale’s favorite medium to carve with is a cedar. Glendale works mainly with yellow cedar but occasionally carves red cedar.
The artist sometimes works with other mediums including gold and silver.
My favorite works of this artist are his rattles of creatures of the sea. What detail and imagination!
Gerry Marks is a Northwest Coast artist representing the Haida nation. Gerry Marks was born in 1949 and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. Marks works a printmaker and jewelry artist.
Marks attended the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art. The school is located in the historical village of Ksan at Hazelton.
The artist began to explore his heritage after seeing some works by his grandfather whose name was John Marks. John Marks was a highly respected metal smith and maker of fine jewelry.
Price range information: No pricing on prints. Jewelry ranges between $1,000 and $35,000 Canadian dollars.
Marks is part of many permanent museum collections across Canada including the Royal British Columbia Museum located in Victoria, British Columbia.
I-Heart is a street artist based out of Vancouver, British Columbia with a style similar to Banksy. The artist, like Banksy, prefers to remain anonymous.
I-Heart enjoys making statements about social media in art.
The artist has made famous works around Vancouver including a mural in Stanley Park, the second largest park in North America behind New York’s Central Park.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
The artist Banksy is also a fan of I-Heart. Bansky shared an image the mural in Stanley Park on his website and it went viral. With the work I-Heart wanted to show how connected but yet disconnected we are now thanks to the Internet and Smart Phones.
Below a brief interview with I-Heart:
I think Andy Warhol would be a huge fan of I-Heart for the way the artist incorporates mass social media in his work.
Francis Horne Sr. is a self taught first nations artist renown for his work with masks and totem poles. Francis Horne was born in Mount Vernon, Washington in the year 1954.
Horne represents is a member of the First Nations family the Coast Salish.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
The artist began carving in 1973.
Horne, in a similar manner of the Inuit people, sometimes uses items in his work that cannot be removed from Canada such as whalebone. Make sure to review your mask or totem from this artist to make sure it can be shipped to your house!
I enjoy the animated qualities and sense of life that comes through the masks and totem poles of this artist.
The artist is now based out of Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada.
Wanda Koop is a Canadian painter of the landscape in a modernist style. Wanda Koop was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in the year 1951. The artist was raised and still resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The artist attended college at the University of Manitoba located in Winnipeg.
Koop works in other mediums including video art. For her paintings most works are made with acrylics.
Koop was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2005.
In this clip from Waddington’s Auction House of Canada, where so many of the Inuit auctions take place, we view a wonderful signature work from 2007 that sells for more than $26,000 at auction:
Koop has multiple works in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada. Her works are also in museums in Iceland and China.
Koop is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
Below a brief interview with the artist:
This artist is great because she does a great job in trying to give her local community as much art as possible. She opened a place called Art City where people of any age can go and receive free art instruction. Art City is located in Winnipeg.
Rupert Scow was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada in the year 1957. Scow comes from a family tree full of artists including Mungo Martin. Scow represents the Kwakwaka’wakw of the First Nations Tribes.
The artist attended the Native Education College located Vancouver, British Columbia.
Scow works mainly as a carver of masks and totem poles. He has studied with many artists profiled here including Wayne Alfred.
What I enjoy most about this artist is his great use of color. Where as many masks seem to use the traditional black and red, Scows works stands out in a gallery with his great use of color and the unique and very expressive masks he produces. His characters have very individual expressions, its as if he has captured the spirit of someone rather than a likeness.
From the Museum of Anthropology a brief segment on the artist:
I am sure the name Freda Diesing is familiar if you visit this site often. Many First Nations artists have attended this wonderful institution.
Freda Diesing was also a fantastic Haida artist in her right born in Price Rupert, British Columbia in the year 1925 . Diesing attended the Vancouver School of Art and also the Gitanmasx School of Northwest Coast Indian Art. Whilst at Gitanmaax Diesing was able to learn from First Nations Master artists Tony Hunt and Robert Davidson.
Diesing worked as a carver of masks, bowls, and totem poles. The artist also produced prints.
Though a great artist in the 1960s, she flourished in the 1980s by being included in a touring art exhibition sponsored by the Royal British Columbia Museum.
In the Haida culture, her name translates to “magical little woman.”
Price range information: Sorry none available.
In 2006 Northwest Community College created the School of Northwest Coast art that bears her name. It is located in Terrence, British Columbia.
She began carving at 42 years of age.
Freda Diesing passed away in 2002.
In this clip some works by student’s at the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art. These artists will soon be responsible for carrying on the First Nations style of art:
Alano Edzerza is a First Nations artist renown for his prints of wildlife. Edzerza is also an outstanding entrepreneur who has brought the First Nations art into commercial apparel. Imagine wearing your favorite first nations art design as a dress, this is possible thanks to the vision of Alano Edzerza.
The artist attended school in Arizona where he learned to work with jewelry. He has also studied with many artists in private settings.
Edzerza was born in the year 1981 and has been making art his entire life.
Edzerza represents the Raven clan of First Nations Tahltan people.
In this clip we visit the artist in his studio and see how he lives on a daily basis:
In 2010, the artist secured a deal to design the wear for the Dutch Winter Olympic Sports Team.
Edzerza loves giving back to the community and has helped with local programs that help younger artists to succeed as artists and business people.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
What I enjoy most about his artwork is his sense of close up depictions of his work. When I first saw his work I imagined Andy Warhol might paint something so large in scale with such a limited palette if he worked in the First Nations style of design. Its great to see such art and designs finally making it the widespread consumer market.
William Kuhnley was born in Seattle, Washington in the year 1967 and represents the Nuu-chah-nulth nation. When he was a youngster the family moved to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Kuhnley works with jewelry and wood carver.
His parents owned and ran a business that dealt with salvaging cedar wood. Both parents of Kuhnley were also wood carvers. This was perfect for someone wanting to be a carver!
Kuhnley is part of Ditidaht tribe. The word means people of the mountains.
Kuhnley began carving professionally when he was 24 years old.
Kuhnley was able to be an apprentice to Haida artist Robert Davidson.
Price range information: Jewelry pieces can be found for $1,000 up to larger wood carvings which can reach $20,000.
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