YVR Art Foundation auctions elaborate First Nations drums

by Charlie Smith on October 31st, 2015 at 2:41 PM

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Online bidding is underway for 17 drums featuring designs by some of B.C.'s most talented First Nations artists.

Already, there's an offer of $8,000 for one piece, Raven's Journey, by Tahltan and Tlingit master carver Dempsey Bob.

It's part of a fundraiser for the YVR Art Foundation, which supports aboriginal artists with scholarships and other direct support.

"Most of them are 20-inch elk-hide drums," foundation director Brenda Crabtree told the Straight by phone. "They're pretty tough. It's a rawhide."

Crabtree, also aboriginal program manager at Emily Carr University + Design, created the drums with Lawrence Lowe. They distributed to them to the artists.

"We asked them if they would be willing to donate their artistic expertise and embellish the drums," Crabtree said.

She added that most used acrylic paint or acrylic ink.

Dempsey Bob's Raven's Journey.

Among the volunteers are Beau Dick, Sonny Assu, and Edwin Neel. Bidding began at $500 and goes up in $100 increments.

The auction closes at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday (November 3).

(To make a bid, go here.)

Sonny Assu's All Along the Watchtower.

The foundation has already granted more than $300,000 in scholarships and awards to emerging First Nations artists since being created in 1993.

Executive director Susan Jackson told the Straight by phone that in last couple of years, the foundation added two new programs: a mid-career scholarship and a masterpiece study grant, which enables First Nations artists to visit musems to conduct research.

"We partner with the Museum of Anthropology, the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria, and just this year, the Burke Museum [of Natural History and Culture] in Seattle," Jackson said.

Crabtree noted that the number of aboriginal students at Emily Carr University has increased significantly in recent years.

She called it "exciting times for aboriginal artists and educators" because of the intersection of art, identity, creativity, and culture that is taking place.

"There's a real shift between traditional and contemporary representation and reinterpretation," Crabtree said "A lot of them are using traditional materials, but really pushing the boundaries of their tradition."

You can see some of the other designs below.