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!
Keith Wolfe Smarch is a Tlingit artist specializing in carvings and masks. Keith Wolfe Smarch is from the community of Teslin, Yukon, Canada. It is a very small city of less than 500 residents.
Keith Wolfe Smarch was born in the year 1961.
In this clip we view an interview where Keith Wolfe Smarch talks about carving canoes and walking sticks:
The artist received inspiration and knowledge from legendary Tlingit and Thaltan carver Dempsey Bob.
The works that Keith Wolfe Smarch carves represent the knowledge he has learned about his Tlingit cultural background and history.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
In this clip a brief interview with Keith Wolfe Smarch:
Keith Wolfe Smarch has spent time living in Japan.
Nicholas Galanin is an American multiple medium artist from Alaska. Nicholas Galanin was born in Sitka, Alaska in the year 1979. The artist works as a sculptor, with video and other digital mediums, and photographer. Galanin also is a musician.
Galanin studied at the collegiate level abroad earning a B.F.A. from London Guildenhall University. The artist went on to earn a M.F.A. from Massey University located in New Zealand.
Below a great interview with Nicholas Galanin:
Galanin represents the Tinglit and Aleut nations.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
One series done by Galanin featured sculptures of faces made from books, sometimes using as many as 2,000 pages. In this works the end sculpture might be a mask made from a book on Tinglit history. He even created a mask using a bible.
Galanin lists photographer Ed Curtis as a major influence. Curtis was known for his black and white images of Native Americans.
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:
Carol Young Bagshaw is a Haida artist renown for her carving skills. Carol Young Bagshaw was born Carol Young in the year 1953.
The artist represents the Eagle Clan.
What I enjoy most about this artist is her statement ,” Art gives my life meaning and purpose.” What a great artistic statement!
The artist is attending the Freda Diesing School of NorthWest Coast Art located in Terrace, British Columbia. She has won awards for being a great mature artist. Someone older than the normal student who shows great promise in becoming a professional artist.
She is renown for her carvings of various sizes. In 2000 she began to carve small figures, bowls, and canoes. Now masks are her favorite subject matter. The artist has enjoyed a life long love of working with the figure.
She usually works on a few masks at a time.
An image of a traditional First Nations woman is being used by the country of Canada for use on a coin that can be purchased in silver or gold.
Carol Young Bagshaw is based out of Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Below a link to the website of Carol Young Bagshaw:
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:
Joe Wilson is a First Nations artist representing the Kwakwaka’ wakw people. Joe Wilson was born in Alert Bay, Canada in the year 1966.
The artist had loved to create since he was a young man and became inspired by taking a course from another First Nations artist named Douglas Cranmer. The course was a birthday present from his sister. Way to go sis!
Wilson was mentored by two other First Nations artist profiled here Wayne Alfred and Beau Dick.
Many of his masks are a combination of cedar and horse hair.
Price range information: sorry none available.
An added note, if you ever visit the Denver Art Museum be sure and check out the fifth floor where you can see many of the First Nations artists profiled here and also a few Inuit works.
Wilson has a knack for giving his masks a real sense of life. His printmaking skills show a wonderful sense of design and use of color. My favorite prints are the ones that include two First Nations symbols such as thunderbird and killer whale.
Patrick Hunt comes from family of multiple generations of artists and was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in the year 1966.
Hunt is the grandson of hereditary chief George Hunt.
Having only recently seen First Nations art for the first time its important to see the sculptures and carvings in person. So many considerations are taken into account by the artist when the work is viewed from a position other than straight on. The viewer not only sees the outstanding carving, but when viewed from the sides the viewer is exposed to many geometric shapes and fantastic color.
For most works made by Patrick Hunt he uses a combination of wood, feathers, paint, and horse hair.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Brother Tom Hunt is also a professional artist.
Of the First Nations artists profiled here he reminds me of Beau Dick, who was a master at carving two faces on one head.
Beau Dick is a fantastic First Nation’s Artist renown for his wonderful mask carvings. Beau Dick was born in Alert Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada in the year 1955. Dick represents the Kwakwaka’wakw Tribe of the First Nations of Canada.
In this clip we view a trailer from a documentary based on the artist:
Though many mask carvers are featured here, Dick is my favorite because of the emotional feeling he has infused into his art. Much of the First Nations masks are stoic, representing the heritage of their culture. Dick’s masks feature the same characters as other artists, but the characters are seen showing emotions of sorrow, distress, or happiness. This added element of life makes his work my favorite!
Price range information: Sorry none available.
The artist comes from yet another wonderful artistic family. His father, Ben Dick, was a renown carver. Ben has set the record for the largest ever carving producing a 173 totem pole to celebrate Canada’s centennial anniversary.
His grandfather James Dick was also a carver.
In this clip a gallery owner talks about this very artistic family:
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