Northern BC's lush forests, majestic totem poles and coastal Aboriginal culture were sources of inspiration for renowned British Columbian artists Bill Reid, Emily Carr and Roy Henry Vickers. The region's dramatic landscapes and thriving traditions continues to inspire emerging Northern BC artists today.
Aboriginal art figures prominently in the region. Discover towering totem poles, handcrafted canoes, and carved argillite (a type of stone) at the Haida Heritage Centre on the Queen Charlotte Islands; or intricately-detailed masks and ceremonial art at the Museum of Northern BC in Prince Rupert.
The region is also home to emerging contemporary artists. The Two Rivers Art Gallery in Prince George sources regional, national and international art, and the Dawson Creek Art Gallery showcases work evocative of the Peace River region.
Aboriginal Art in Northern BC
Creations by Haida, Nisga’a, Tsimshian, and Tlingit First Nations artists are housed in the Museum of Northern BC at Prince Rupert. See historic ceremonial art, contemporary masks and argillite carvings, and watch totem poles come to life at the nearby carving shed.
For art that is distinctly Haida, head to the Haida Heritage Centre on the Queen Charlotte Islands to see contemporary art, paintings, traditional masks, totem poles and an extensive collection of argillite carvings. A highlight is Bill Reid’s self-proclaimed masterpiece, the “Loo Taas," a 15m/50ft war canoe carved from a single cedar, which played a role in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and was once paddled up the Seine River in Paris.
Towering totem poles are scattered around the region: the Kispiox Valley boasts more than 50 totem poles in the surrounding area, while the Gwaii Haanas National Park on the Queen Charlotte Islands is home to incredibly majestic – and crumbling – mortuary poles that date back centuries.
Make time to stop at the Prince George Native Art Gallery in Prince George to see unique cedar carvings and bead work, and discover works by artists from the Omineca and Coastal regions.
Art on the Queen Charlotte Islands
On the Queen Charlotte Islands, there are a smattering of small galleries and home-based studios.
Both Haida and non-Haida artists contribute to the island’s thriving arts scene, who supply the galleries and gift shops with carvings in argillite and wood, gold and silver jewellery, paintings, cedar basketry, and ceramics and pottery.
Drive the “Art Route” to connect with local artists and discover hidden galleries (the Sandspit Visitor Centre has maps and brochures).
The Haida Heritage Centre in Skidegate is impressively housed in five adjoining contemporary cedar longhouses and features the work of some of the island’s finest artists. Marvel at huge, ancient poles from the villages of Skedans and Tanu, and admire the fine-detail work.
Popular Art Galleries
The Dawson Creek Art Gallery occupies the unique space of a renovated grain elevator annex and showcases local and touring exhibits that have come from as far as Japan and Holland. Painters, fabric artists, woodworkers, potters, metal workers and sculptors make up the regional talent.
Prince George’s Two Rivers Art Gallery highlights artists ranging from painters to installation artists. Drop in on the “Make Art, Make Sense” program (year-round) to better understand the exhibits by making art. In the gallery gift shop, look for artwork made from pine beetle wood.
Art in Northern BC Communities
Tucked away in the backwoods community of Telkwa (south of Smithers) is a gallery where creations by Bulkley Valley artists and artisans are on display in a former 1950's BC Forest Service ranger station. The quaint town of McBride has a gallery brimming with glasswork, woodwork, quilting, paintings, jewellery and pottery.
Public Art
Discover more than 50 intricately carved chainsaw sculptures in Chetwynd depicting local animals and scenery.
And, brightening the walls of alleys in nearby Dawson Creek are colourful murals that recall the town’s history and the building of the Alaska Highway.
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