"Barnacles to Butterflies:" Unusual Northwest Coast Silver Jewellery

Raven, Eagle, Wolf, Bear, Killerwhale… these are all very familiar figures in Northwest Coast Native art. But how about Sea Urchins, Mushrooms, Crabs or even Comets?

"Barnacles to Butterflies," a group show of emerging and experienced artists, will showcase unusual subject matter applied to the realm of sterling silver jewellery in Northwest Coast art. Featured artists include Dean Hunt (Heiltsuk), Dan Wallace (Haida), Jeff Pat (Coast Salish), Kelvin Thompson (Ojibwa/Saulteaux/Haisla), Barry Wilson (Haisla), Carrie Matilpi (Kwakwaka’wakw/Carrier/Cree), and Clint Work (Kwakwaka’wakw).

While much of the imagery applied to jewellery created by British Columbia’s First Nations engravers is based on family crest symbols, artists from the Pacific Northwest have a long history of using their surroundings for inspiration. From English tableware motifs introduced to BC in the nineteenth century to modern pop culture references, Northwest Coast Native artists have applied external influences to their artwork in imaginative and innovative ways for many years.

Barnacles to Butterflies will run from Saturday, September 22nd to Saturday, October 13th, 2012. An online preview of the works will be available on September 15th. Please join us for our opening reception on Saturday, September 22nd from 3-5pm.