ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I was born and raised in Southeast Alaska, surrounded by mountains, forests, and the sea. Totem poles and other forms of Native art were a natural part of my world, sparking a lifelong fascination with the arts and cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast.
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After earning graduate degrees in anthropology and conducting archaeological fieldwork in Alaska, I joined the Ozette Archaeological Project on the Makah Reservation—a life-changing experience. While living and working with Makahs at the Ozette Archaeological Site and in Neah Bay, I encountered the southern Northwest Coast artistic traditions, which differed from the formline art of the northern regions. Under the guidance of several Makah and Nuu-chah-nulth artists, I began carving, engraving silver jewelry, and printmaking for private collectors and galleries.
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In the 1990s, I managed and researched the well-preserved artifacts from the Ozette Site for the Makah Museum in Neah Bay. Later, after careers in archaeology and museum work, I transitioned to teaching anthropology and sociology at the local college, a role I held for two decades while continuing my research with the Ozette materials.
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After retiring, I began analyzing and writing about the art found on the Ozette artifacts. My background in carving and engraving allowed me to see these materials not just as an analyst but also as an artist. This perspective found expression in paintings on cedar boards and panels, inspired by the large carved "tamanous" planks recovered from the Ozette Site.
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My work is contemporary in style but incorporates motifs and elements from the Ozette materials and the broader traditions of Northwest Coast art. Each piece reflects my personal experiences, the stories shared by those I lived and worked with, and the artistry of the ancient Ozettes, who conveyed their world through the art I studied, documented, and admired.
I am not Native but I am a native of the Northwest Coast. I have tasted its salt, wandered in the shadows of its cedars, and felt the power of its storms. I have heard the croaking of ravens, the spouting of whales, and the whispers of artifacts made in other times by other hands. My work is not Native art but that of an outsider privileged to look in.