Coast Salish Art: Honouring our Local Legacy

In recent years, Salt Spring Arts has worked hard to promote inclusivity and celebrate Indigenous voices in our programs. Artcraft Indigenous began as a three-year pilot project from 2021 to 2023 is now extended to 2024 and 2025. This project aims to include regional Indigenous artists in the gallery and at special events. We have seen exciting results and have plans for the future!

To date, we have worked with more than 20 Coast Salish artists and two Indigenous curators, none of whom were part of Salt Spring-based programs or events before this project. 

Indigenous Artists in Canada: Restoring Presence in our Community

As a top priority, we want to include Indigenous artists who consider the Gulf Islands part of their traditional lands. This includes the Hul'qumi'num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples.

These artists mostly live in communities on Vancouver Island today. Colonial policies and practices erased their presence on the Gulf Islands; our project aims to reverse this erasure by making sure we see and hear their voices and art.

A key strategy for the Artcraft Indigenous pilot project was to remove barriers for regional Indigenous artists. We did this by removing the usual participation fees and charging no commission on sales. We also arranged all transportation of artworks to and from Vancouver Island and the Salt Spring exhibition.

By providing this support, we’ve made it easier for Indigenous artists to showcase their work and connect with the broader Gulf Islands community. We hope to return Indigenous art a key part of contemporary Gulf Islands culture. And it’s an opportunity to showcase some of the amazing talent and different types of art found on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Our goals go beyond exhibitions, however. We want to build strong relationships with Indigenous artists and curators in the region -- and we believe these relationships strengthen cultural understanding and create a more inclusive arts environment for everyone.

Coast Salish Artwork at our Salt Spring Art Gallery

In addition to featuring artists in our gallery, we have organized special exhibitions to highlight the works of notable Coast Salish artists.

One of the most memorable events was the Showcase exhibition in August and September 2022. It featured works by the late master Coast Salish carver TEMOSEṈŦET (Charles Elliott). The exhibition also had works from three of his family members: Temosen (Chazz Elliott), Matthew Parby Elliott, and Myrna Crossley.

This historic exhibition was curated by Indigenous curator, Rose Spahan. The first-of-its-kind event on Salt Spring Island marks an important moment in the culture of the Gulf Islands.

We are excited to announce our second Coast Salish Showcase exhibition, Into the Wild. It will feature Two-Spirit Coast Salish artist Margaret August. Scheduled for August 1-26, 2025, this exhibition will explore their unique connection with nature and identity, offering another incredible opportunity to celebrate Indigenous creativity.

Canadian Indigenous Artists: Learn About Making Folk Artwork from Coast Salish People

Beyond exhibitions, we have expanded our engagement with Indigenous artists through demonstrations and educational workshops. In 2023, 2024 and 2025, we hosted multiple artist demonstrations, including during a three-day Indigenous Peoples Festivals in June 2024 and 2025. These events showed many types of traditional and modern Indigenous art such as carving, beading, cedar weaving, and painting on hide.

In October 2024, we held a workshop about the Coast Salish drum-making tradition. The seasoned Tsartlip/Nez Perce artist Virgil Sampson led the event. This workshop gave participants a deeper understanding of the cultural significance and craftsmanship involved in the drum making tradition, as well as insight into how artists like Virgil are transforming traditional practices with contemporary colours and storytelling.

Demonstrations and workshops like these offer a great chance to learn about traditional art forms passed down through generations. Stay tuned for some special events involving cedar weaving that Salt Spring Arts has planned for 2026!

Adding Indigenous Local Artisans to our Gallery: A Win-Win for Everyone

Having Indigenous artwork as a regular component of Artcraft is positive for artists, islanders and visitors. Artworks sold through Artcraft last year went to personal collections, as well as places like Shawnigan Lake School and the Salt Spring Public Library. The library has since launched its own Indigenous Art collection in collaboration with Indigenous curator Rose Spahan, making many pieces first shown at Artcraft a permanent community resource. 

Bringing traditional Coast Salish artists into our gallery has meanwhile been a rewarding experience for artists and visitors alike. Since admission is free, we are happy to be sharing this work with a wider audience than might otherwise see it.

Further Funding: Continuing to Grow our Relationships with Indigenous Culture

Salt Spring Arts is grateful to have received funding support from the B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Awards, as well as the Salt Spring Foundation Indigenous Priority Fund and the BC Arts Council. This funding has helped with travel, artist honorariums and special projects like the catalogue for the Elliott Family show.

We are thankful for the chance to learn more and connect with the amazing Coast Salish artists who live near us.

As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, Salt Spring Arts aims to continue to celebrating Indigenous art and to build strong relationships with Indigenous creators. Our goal is to create a more inclusive and diverse artistic community in the Gulf Islands. We invite everyone to join us on this ongoing journey of reconciliation, learning and artistic celebration.

Cover photo, from left: "Chazz" TEMOSEN Charles Elliott, TEMOSEṈŦET (Charles Elliott), Myrna Crossley and Mathew Parlby-Elliott prepare for their 2022 Artcraft showcase JSINSET. Photo by David Borrowman for Salt Spring Arts