Christopher W. Smith on Tsimshian Master Carver Samuel Elwitt

Samuel Elwitt (1834-1919) was a prolific and highly accomplished Tsimshian carver from the Kitselas First Nation. Partially paralyzed from an early age, Elwitt worked as a full-time artist and relied on carving and painting as his primary source of income for his entire life. Despite a multitude of Elwitt’s spoons, model poles, bowls, and headdresses being present in some of the world’s most notable museums, including the British Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Canadian Museum of History, and the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, most Northwest Coast scholars have never heard of this pivotal artist.

This presentation by Vancouver-based museum anthropologist and writer Christopher W. Smith retraces his efforts over the last 18 years to untangle the historic intersectional discrimination and inconsistent museum cataloguing practices that led to this important artist being left out of the Northwest Coast art historical canon. In his presentation, Smith will share key biographical details on Elwitt, historic photos, notable works, and the defining features of Elwitt’s unique carving and painting styles with the audience. Smith will also discuss the important roles that formal attribution, archival research, and online museum databases have played in the return of this information back to Elwitt’s home community and descendants.

This event is made possible with support from the Friends of Native Art.