NAME was pleased and honoured when Nuu-chah-nulth artist Hjalmer Wenstob recently designed a new logo for our regional chapter of NMEA. Hjalmer’s art, mostly sculpture and carving, highlights the evolving traditions within indigenous art and its relationship to culture and environment. Many of you will recall that Hjalmer gave a presentation for the NAME Speaker Series in June 2022 to explain the creative process for the new NAME logo and how it relates to the vision and goals of NAME.
Hjalmer’s focus on sculpture and carving complements the scholarship of his brother, Tim Masso, who explores links between language, culture, and land. Tim was a Keynote Speaker at the 2021 Virtual Conference co-hosted by NAME and CaNOE.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the brothers created a multidisciplinary presentation incorporating dance, song, and a striking mask to offer indigenous-inspired solace and hope to all folks suffering through those dark months, and to continue Nuu-chah-nulth traditional ways of commemoration. The presentation, titled ‘The Healing Song’, has been incorporated into an exhibit at the beautiful Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art in downtown Vancouver, BC, which highlights the life, art, and legacy of George Clutesi. In an interview of Hjalmer Wenstob by CBC’s North by Northwest radio program, he describes George Clutesi’s mentorship of indigenous artists and explains artistic elements within ‘The Healing Song’. The following link provides access to this great interview.
GEORGE CLUTESI: ḥašaḥʔap / ʔaapḥii / ʕc̓ik / ḥaaʔaksuqƛ / ʔiiḥmisʔap opens at Bill Reid Gallery | North by Northwest with Margaret Gallagher | Live Radio | CBC Listen
This special exhibit will be showing until January of 2025, so don’t miss this unique opportunity to visit the Bill Reid Gallery before or after the 2024 NAME conference in BC!
