Contemporary Voices of the Coast - Satellite Exhibition

Contemporary Voices of the Coast is a celebration of the vibrant and evolving artistic traditions of the Northwest Coast Indigenous Peoples. This exhibition brings together an array of hand-carved cedar panels, paddles, masks, as well as limited-edition prints, all created 100% by First Nations artists who are deeply connected to their communities and cultures, and who use their art to tell stories, pass on knowledge, and assert identity.

Each piece offers a contemporary voice — rooted in tradition, yet resonant with the present — reflecting the ongoing vitality of Northwest Coast Indigenous cultures. These works, individually and collectively, affirm the strength, resilience, and creativity that define Northwest Coast Indigenous art and culture.

All pieces were thoughtfully selected from the collection of Spirits of the West Coast Art Gallery, which is located on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation.

The exhibition can be viewed at the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce until 

October 29th, 2025

Our mission is to uplift and amplify the voices of First Nations artists by providing a space where their stories, traditions, and creative expressions can be shared, appreciated, and celebrated. We work closely with artists from Haida, Kwakwaka'wakw, Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth, and other Northwest Coast Nations who are active within their communities and committed to cultural preservation through art.

The gallery features a curated selection of hand-carved masks, totem poles, paddles, jewelry, prints, and other works that reflect the diversity and richness of Northwest Coast Indigenous art.

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Featured Artists Include:

Trevor Hunt

Kwakwaka'wakw artist Trevor Hunt was born in 1975. His given Kwakiutl name, T'łalis, translates to "a pod of killer whales swimming toward a village". Trevor takes pride in carving in the traditional form line while incorporating his own style, giving his art a unique touch.

As a young artist, Trevor began selling original paintings in Victoria, B.C. at the age of 13, later learning traditional formline design while carving alongside his father, Stanley Hunt, and cousins Tim Alfred and David Knox.

Trevor has designed logos for various Vancouver Island businesses and carved over 25 poles, including one at the Port Hardy Arena. Recently, he joined his brother Jason and cousins Mervyn Child and Calvin Hunt to carve a 52-foot totem pole commissioned for Canada Square in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Passionate about sharing his knowledge, Trevor teaches carving to students at Wagulis School, as well as Fort Rupert Elementary.

"Balancing a wife and four children, as well as carving, is a great way to spend your days, as it’s all about doing things that you love.” 

— Trevor Hunt

Kiri Geen

Kiri is an artist of inland Tlingit, Northern/Southern Tutchone, and Tsimshian ancestry, belonging to the Wolf, Eagle, and Killer Whale clans. Though she grew up outside of her culture, she is dedicated to reconnecting with her roots and Indigenous identity through art, ceremony, silver jewelry carving, beading, textiles, film, and dancing. Her work blends traditional formline art with a contemporary perspective, reflecting both her lived experiences and cultural exploration.

Recently, Kiri has produced a short film, Kiri and the Girl, with Christopher Logan and Ken Shapkin. An allegorical fairy tale of her life, the film is available on Apple TV and is part of the Victoria Film Festival's permanent collection. She also founded “Moon Children Films”.

Deeply inspired by the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the West Coast, Kiri’s work is bold yet feminine, visually striking yet deeply spiritual. She draws influence from artists such as Robert Davidson, Dempsey Bob, and Frida Kahlo, as well as fashion designer Alexander McQueen—but much of her inspiration comes from dreams, travel, and her connection to nature.

Through her art, Kiri explores themes of cultural identity, decolonization, and the spiritual ties between First Nations peoples and the land. She believes in using her work to foster respect, inclusion, and meaningful conversations about Indigenous heritage and cross-cultural understanding.

Richard Baker

Richard Baker, a descendant of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw Nations, was born in 1962 in North Vancouver, BC. He came from a large family of artists, including his renowned grandmother, Katherine Scow. Inspired by his father and other relatives working on totem poles and cedar masks, Richard began carving at the age of 12 in 1974. After years of refining his wood carving techniques, Richard expanded into metalwork, creating intricate jewelry in gold, silver, platinum, and copper.

Throughout his artistic career, Richard received numerous commissions from corporations and First Nations organizations throughout Canada for both his jewelry and cedar carvings. He was invited to carve in Toronto and Montreal multiple times, and in 1986 he participated in the World Expo in Vancouver, BC.

Richard passed away in 2024.

Rod Smith

Rod Smith, born in Vancouver, BC in 1966, is a Wuikineuxv (Oweekeno) artist residing on Vancouver Island with his wife Janice.  He was trained by his father, the late Harris Smith, or Lalkawilas, meaning “Chief who feasts his people until the morning”.  Rod signs his work Thaelkualis, meaning “he who feasts the people from morning until next morning”.  He often works in basswood, red and yellow cedar, arbutus, maple, and canvas. Rod is perhaps best known for his precise and elegant painting style. His pieces include sculptures, masks, poles, original paintings, plates, vessels, bowls, and bentwood boxes.

In 2002, Rod completed an 8-foot pole in collaboration with his father and his brother, artist Steve Smith. In 2005, Rod was featured in the Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2 exhibition that opened at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, NY. In 2013, Rod was featured with his brother in an exhibition titled Collaboration & Contrast at Lattimer Gallery. In 2019, Rod was selected by the BC Law Society to design their annual awards. Rod continues to explore contemporary Northwest Coast motifs and designs and takes great joy in creating new and unique works.

April White

April White, or SGaana Jaad (Killer Whale Woman), was born on Haida Gwaii and belongs to the Dadens Yahgu’jaanaas Raven clan. She is a descendant of a long line of highly respected and collectable Haida Master Carvers, including Charles Edenshaw, Bill Reid, her brother Darrell White, and her cousins Christian White, Derek White, and Jim Hart.

Early in her career, April earned a degree in Geology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she also began developing and refining her painting skills. After working for a few years in the field, she realized she was deeply drawn to painting, especially in watercolour. In the eighties, she decided to set aside geology and dedicate herself fully to her art.

Since then, her career has taken her across North America, particularly to globally recognized juried shows and Indian Markets in Santa Fe, Portland, Scottsdale, and Phoenix. She has regularly participated in and received awards at many of these prestigious events.

Every salmon sport fishing enthusiast in British Columbia possesses — knowingly or unknowingly — a piece of art by April White, for every salmon license in the province carries a stamp designed by this talented Haida artist. The Pacific Salmon Foundation chose her design, Salmon Tale, for their 2015/16 art contest. This became the first and only time in 25 years that an Aboriginal person was so honoured.

Today, April lives and works both in Powell River as well as on Haida Gwaii.

Alano Edzerza

Alano Edzerza belongs to the Raven clan of the Tahltan Nation in the Stikine District in Northwestern British Columbia.

Born in Victoria in 1981, he has been an artist since he could hold a pencil, and received his first recognition of merit at age thirteen with a sculpture award from the Victoria School Board. This early talent developed rapidly into a professional career with international gallery and museum shows.

Alano began working in Northwest Coast art under the tutelage of his family member, fellow Tahltan artist Terrence Campbell. In 2002, Alano furthered his education by attending school in Arizona for jewellery-making under the instruction of Rick Charlie, learning casting and engraving. When he returned to Canada at twenty-one, he continued jewellery-making, working with his cousin and studying the work of artists such as Bill Reid, Dempsey Bob, Dale Campbell, and Stan Bevan, and reading about and studying Tsimshian style. Since then, he has also had the opportunity to work with artists Jay Simeon, Marcel Russ, Philip Grey, Corey Bulpitt, and Rick Adkins.

Today, Alano is a Tahltan multimedia artist and entrepreneur based in West Vancouver, British Columbia. He has had numerous group shows and solo shows in Canada and abroad and is one of the key artists in the contemporary Northwest Coast Art movement.

Tim Paul

Tim Paul is a master carver from Esperanza Inlet, BC, born in 1950. He is a member of the Hesquiaht tribe from the Nuu-Chah-Nulth first nation.

He began carving at the age of 11. Tim attended an Indian Residential School, where he lost much of his ability to speak his indigenous language fluently. Many of his carvings are created to honor the themes of language and story in recognition of the significance of language and oral stories to his people.

In 1975, he began carving at the Arts of the Raven Studio in Victoria, BC, under the direction of Ben Andrews and John Livingston. In 1977, he became assistant carver to renowned master carver Richard Hunt at Thunderbird Park at the Royal British Columbia Museum. In 1985, seven years later, when Richard stepped down, Tim Paul became chief carver at Thunderbird Park. Tim accepted many commissions during his time at Thunderbird Park, and his work can be seen worldwide.

In 1992, he left to oversee an indigenous education program for the Port Alberni school board. He currently lives and works in Port Alberni.