Kwigwatsi Studio: A Beacon in Our Time
Ancestry, ambition and art mesh in the new Kwigwatsi Studio, now standing proudly on the waterfront in Comox on Vancouver Island, an homage to the meaning of its name: eagle’s nest. Partners in life, art and business, renowned northwest coast artist Andy Everson (Kwakwaka’wakw) and owner of Totem Design House Erin Brillon (Haida/ Cree) have pooled their talent and energy to build a studio on the K’omoks First Nation. The 1,500 sq ft studio will house the latest digital and screen printing equipment, allowing the duo to not only expand their product lines but welcome other artists to learn and advance their works.
As many non-Indigenous people become more aware of the devastating impacts of colonization, reconciliation is a vital discussion in our Canadian culture. The building of this studio is a prime example of the need for reconciliation, reconciliation that systematically deconstructs barriers facing Indigenous Peoples to attain economic equity. Most non-Indigenous people are unaware of how immensely difficult it is to build on Crown Reserve land. Banks are unable to give mortgages without guarantees, and most Bands are unable to provide these mortgage guarantees. This makes investment into cultural endeavours extremely difficult and forces many to move away from their homes and cultural connections. Kwigwatsi is a beacon in our time.
Kwigwatsi was built to honour the legacy of the past, fulfill the dreams of ancestors, and to further empower modern artists. “What we are doing today is the embodiment of everything our grandparents couldn’t do, and couldn’t be,” shared Brillon. “Andy’s grandfather had wanted to create a Northwest Coast art school here on this very spot, and we plan to honour his legacy by developing art-based programs for artists that will be run through this studio space.”
Not only will the studio be a centre for artist education but it will recall the Native Arts market back into Indigenous hands. Artists will “provide authenticallydesigned products that are made locally and in the most eco-friendly methods possible; that is what operating with Indigenous values means to us,” explained Brillon. It will offer a pathway to “uphold our culture in a contemporary way while holding true to our traditional values that teach us to give back.”
The Copper Legacy, in honour of Brillon’s Haida grandmothers, will be an additional part of that giving back. The Copper Legacy will provide artist mentorship, aid in language revitalization, and help restore traditional practices of healing, farming and stewardship.
Kwigwatsi overlooks the Big House that Everson’s grandfather K’omoks Chief Andy Frank built. It stands as a signal fire—a sign of the end of an era and the hope of healing that comes soaring from Kwigwatsi, the eagle’s nest.