Artist in residence Raphael Silver is carving a house post throughout the summer at Kariton Art Gallery in Abbotsford.
A house post is the Coast Salish version of the totem pole. These house posts either support beams inside a house or stand outside a big house, and are carved to proclaim the stories and values of the house.
Silver is also known for other pieces of work in the community such as the roundabout on McCallum Road depicting the salmon, the house post arch at Fraser River Heritage Park, and at various local schools, including Yale Secondary.
The Abbotsford Arts Council has commissioned the house post to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, and citizens are invited to celebrate and learn about the traditional First Nations culture and history.
The project is funded by the Abbotsford Foundation and the City of Abbotsford as part of the Canada 150 celebrations.
Local residents are invited to participate in the carving, visit with the artist, and learn about the process and history of coastal Salish house posts.
Tours and educational programming can be booked by contacting Tery Kozma at 604-852-9358. Visit abbotsfordartscouncil.com for more information.
A pole-raising ceremony will take place at the site on Sept. 29 at 11 a.m.