Celebrating Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast

The contribution of women to the long tradition of carving is highlighted in an exhibition called Curve, Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast, a collection of 130 works that include poles, panels, masks, bowls, and other sculptures.

The exhibition highlights a selection of women carvers active from the 1950s to present day, highlighting the pivotal role of women artists within the larger tradition of indigenous carving along the coast of British Columbia. Works are traditionally carved from wood and argillite, a dense black rock found in the Haida Gwaii archipelago. 

Although women of the Northwest Coast have long carved poles, canoes, panels, and masks, many of these artists have not become as well known outside their communities as their male counterparts (such as the late, celebrated artist Beau Dick, here).

These women artists are cherished within their communities for helping to keep traditional carving practices alive, and for maintaining the dances, songs, and ceremonies intertwined with visual art production.

Ellen Neel, Freda Diesing, and Doreen Jensen, three iconic Northwest Coast artists, serve as historic context for this exhibition, says the Audain Art Museum, which curated the show.

The contributions of these three women “paved the way for subsequent generations of carvers and left an indelible mark on Northwest Coast art,” the Audain says.

 “More than 60 of the works are masks, which are often used as ritual objects in potlatch ceremonies and dances, where wearers embody animals, ancestral spirits or supernatural beings. Today, carvers are also creating masks for the market, where they’re finally getting recognition as works of high art” – from an excellent illustrated feature in Macleans magazine, here.

Attention to this groundbreaking show attracted the interest of the National Gallery of Canada and a condensed version of the exhibition will go to Ottawa from Feb. 13 – June 14, 2026.

Exhibition site for Curve, Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast at the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, B.C. here.

Audain Museum exhibition on Instagram, here.