Native Carvers Bruce Cook and Takirirangi Smith Begin Totem and Canoe Projects in the South Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA (PRWEB) May 21, 2007 -- Native carver Bruce cook (Haida) will be carving two Haida totems out of western red cedar that will be erected in Hydaberg Alaska in late August. He will also be carving two smaller totems out of white pine. Cook was born in Ketchikan, Alaska. He grew up on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. His Haida name is 7idansuu, meaning "melting ice from a glacier."

He received this name from his Uncle Fred Grant in the village of Hydaburg at the age of 9. He is from the Sdat'a aas eagle clan. He remarks "I have been working n the Northwest Coast art form for the past 10 years. I was inspired at a young age by my Uncle Glenn Cook, a Haida artist from Hydaburg. I watched him carve in argillite and then carve a model canoe that was given to my father for Christmas."

His first job carving was with Alex Joseph, an interior Salish carver from Canada. Together they carved a six-foot house post for Boeing, which traveled to Germany to be displayed. He has also worked with Steve Brown in carving a ten-foot Haida pole and a sixteen-foot Haida canoe sometime later. Brown has been very instrumental and supportive in helping him learn this art form. Cook says:" His knowledge of not only the coastal arts, but in other formats has greatly helped in getting me to where I am at now."

Cook attended graphic art school at Central Wyoming College, earned his associates degree from Northwest Indian College in 1995 and attended The Evergreen State College from 1995-1997. Commissioned work includes carving the Salish house posts at Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center; Snohomish Arts Council to replicate 2 masks; Seattle Art Museum- two portrait masks' sixteen-foot canoe for the Legacy Gallery, Seattle, WA; Entryway artwork at Wa-He-Lut school' thirty-five-foot Salish Style Pole at Chief Leschi School; a privately commissioned ten-foot Haida Pole; House post for the Boeing Company, Cargolux, Germany.

Bruce also carves at Freight House Square in Tacoma and has been working on a small totem there that he started at the Seattle home show. He also has work on display at the Washington State History Museum.

The totem pole carving will take place at nwwood.com in Tacoma, WA and can be viewed on our web cam Totem Information. This is the second year he has carved at nwwood.com.

Native Carver Takirirangi Smith (Maori) is leading a team of accomplished native carvers who will be carving a canoe where they can share shaping, bending and finishing techniques. Takirirangi Smith is a master carver who is in his Ph. D completion phase. Smith's focus is on the connections between the indigenous artworks as a means of reflections: knowledge and transformations. He has lectured internationally on the indigenous knowledge and the transformations.

Since the early 1980's Takirirangi Smith has served in the role of Tohunga Whakairo (Master Carver), teaching and mentoring Maori carvers at Victoria University in Wellington; Wairarapa Polytechnic; and The Te Heru a Rangi Culture and Education Center, Masteron.

Mr. Smith is a multifaceted artist. He had lead the carving of 7 carved meeting houses, several entrances, gateways and facades in New Zealand. He is also an accomplished carver of canoes and has particular interest in reviving the Maori small sailing canoes.
Furthermore, he has knowledge and skill as a painter, performer in contemporary music as well as a composer. While at Evergreen, Mr. Smith, has completed several Maori masks in local wood species.

The carving will take place on the west side of the Evergreen State College Longhouse daily until June 8th. Don Jastad, Jastad Forest Resources in Puyallup, Washington, and Chris Fry, nwwood.com Tacoma, Washington, provided the Western Red Cedar log. The Native Carvers joining Takirirangi Smith are: John Smith (Skokomish), Eddie Green (Skokomish), Andrea Wilbur-Sigo (Squaxin Island), Steve Sigo (Squaxin Island), Pete Peterson, Sr. (Skokomish), Bear O'Lague (Quinault), Bruce Cook (Haida), Meleno Lovato (Apache, Navajo). More information is available on the nwwood.com web site at: Maori Canoe Information

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