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:
Nathan Jackson is a First Nations artist representing the Sockeye clan of the Chilkoot Tlingit people. Nathan Jackson was born in 1938. Jackson renown for his totem poles but like many First Nations artists is capable of working in any size and any medium.
The artist served in the military.
When he was a young man Jackson began a career as a commercial fisherman. He became ill with pneumonia and spent time in hospital and was unable to fish. During this time he began carving small totem poles.
Jackson attended the Institute of the American Indian Arts located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The artist is also a wonderful teacher and educator who enjoys passing on his skills and sense of culture to the younger generation.
Jackson is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
He and his family live in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Below an interview with Nathan Jackson that took place in 1976:
Jackson is a very accomplished artist in any medium he chooses.
Marcel Russ is a wonderful artist representing the Haida (Raven Clan). Marcel Russ was born in Queen Charlotte Islands in the year 1973. Other artists in his family include his father Ron Russ.
Russ works as a jewelry designer, sculptor of totem poles, and graphic designer, and printmaker.
The artist learned how to work with argillite from his father. He started working with this stone when he was 8 years old. He began to work with wood when he was 12 years of age.
The artist also has an uncle named Chris Russ who is also an artist. It runs in the family genes! Through out the Haida nation both sides of his families have been renowned for their work with argillite and wood carvings.
Price range information: Works range from $500 to $20,000.
In this clip a candid interview about giving back to your local community with Marcel Russ:
Rufus Moody was a great Haida artist who enjoyed depicting the various myths and legends of his culture. Moody worked in argillite stone most of time. Rufus Moody was renown for his sculptured totem poles.
Rufus Moody enjoyed working with argillite stone the best. He also loved to teach younger artisans how to carve in argillite. In 1950 with Claude Davidson the two artists began to teach other artists how to work in argillite.
The artist came from a family of respected artists his father named Arthur Moody. And his grandfather also a well respected carver named Thomas Moody.
Rufus Moody was born in 1923 in Skidgate Village, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada.
The artist is part of many collections including the National Gallery of Canada located in Ottawa, Canada. In addition he is part of the Royal British Columbia Museum.
Rufus Moody passed away in 1998.
Rufus belonged to the Tanu Wolf Clan.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
A great fact about the artist is that he carved the tallest argillite totem pole in existence at slightly larger than 6 feet in length. This piece is located at the Vancouver, British Columbia Museum of Anthropology.
Calvin Hunt is a Northwest Coast artist born in 1956. Hunt comes from a long family of artists including his grandfather, Mungo Martin, already profiled here. Calvin Hunt started carving when he was only twelve years old. Calvin Hunt carves very large totem poles and also canoes, stone carving, making jewelry, and even producing silk screens.
His father is Kwagu’l Heredity Chief Thomas Hunt.
Worked as an apprentice Tony Hunt for nine years.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
The artist was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2004.
Hunt is associated with the Kwakwaka’wakw band of the First Nations.
John Livingston is a Northwest Coast artist who wasn’t born into a tribe, but rather adopted by one. Livingston was born in 1951.
Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia.
In this work he talks about his work with human face and the sun. I love hearing about artists talk about their work:
The artist learned to carve by watching masters Tony and Henry Hunt. The father and son and taken over for Mungo Martin as the lead carvers at the Thunderbird Park carving program.
Livingston works in a very large format and has received many commissions. On some works he has done collaborations with other notable artists including Robert Davidson.
Has worked on nearly 30 very large traditional totem poles, hand carved since he began his career in the 1960s. These very large works are usually made to celebrate a particular time or celebration.
price range information: sorry none available.
In the tradition of art in their close knit community, only certain clans could work with certain imagery. Northwest Coast art was only to be made by its native peoples. Livingston though not a tribe member, was adopted by the Kwakaka’ wakw tribe and is allowed to practice their design and motif works.
Dempsey Bob is a world renown sculptor and carver of masks, bowls, and totem poles. Dempsey began to carve in 1969. An important mentor was artist Freda Diesing. For his education the artist Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art in Hazelton, British Colombia.
In June of this year (2013) Bob was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
The artist is included in many prominent collections including the Smithsonian Institution, the Vancouver International Airport, and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The artist is increasing his fame on the international scene and below is his sculpture at the Vancouver International Airport.
Richard Hunt is from a world renown family of artisans. Richard Hunt was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. His grandfather was named Chief NakePenkim ,also known as Mungo Martin. Martin helped to restore and carve totem poles unique to the region. He was also the founder of the sculpting program at Thunderbird Park. Also on his father’s side he is descended from George Hunt, a renown ethnologist. Below an example of his wonderful mask work.
His tribal name is loosely translated to mean man who travels the globe.
price range information: Serigraph prints start at $400 to original carvings as mucs as $9,000.
The tribe associated with the artist is the Kwak waka’ wakw tribe and culture. His grandfather was an integral part in keeping their culture alive.
Elected to the Royal Order of Canada. Also elected to Canada’s Royal Academy of the Arts.
Below we hear the artist talk about watching his father carve as a child:
Winner of the Golden Jubilee Medal from Her Majesty the Queen.
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