There are many art galleries,
art studios and museums on the Queen
Charlotte Islands with an inventory of Haida First Nation sculptures,
paintings, carvings, masks, clothes, books and jewelry on display.
Some is display only and some is for sale, so you can take a piece
of Haida culture back home with you.
There are museums in Masset, Port Clements and Skidegate. Hours
of operation vary. The Port Clements museum is centered around
the logging industry and the Golden
Spruce Tree Legacy. The large Qay'llnagaay Heritage Centre
in Skidegate has a museum that follows the history and tradition
of the Haida First Nation People.
Much of the stone carvings of Totem Poles, ravens, whales masks,
etc. for sale in the art galleries are made of Argillite stone.
A stone available to the Haida people. A soft stone that shines
up well and is ideal for carving. The region enjoys a high concentration
of Argillite rock on the islands.
The island is home to the largest concentration of Haida artists.
Some of the artists work out of their own private carving studios,
others create in community carving sheds located throughout the
islands.
The Queen Charlotte Islands is where the well known carver Bill
Reid and Jim Hart hail from. Both artists, and others, play a
big part in opening the eyes of the world to the beauty of Haida
art, culture and history.
Throughout the communities of Skidegate
(south Graham Island) and Old
Masset (north Graham Island) on the Queen Charlottes are many
beautiful outdoor Totem Poles on display. Many are fronting the
ocean and all have a story to tell as they reach for the sky.
In Old Masset and Skidegate Villages the finished result of transforming
a cedar tree into a Totem Pole can be seen best. There are many
on display outside. For example, in Old Masset is the Sharkhouse
Pole, the Jim Hart Longhouse Pole, the Collison Pole and the Chief
Mathews Pole. In Skidegate there is the T'anuu 'llnagaay Pole,
the Hlknul'llnagaay Pole and the Ts'aahl'llnagaay Pole. |
BC Tourism Website Network 
Haida
Art 
