I =

Feature

by Mare Davis
The Review

A do-it-yourself textbook writ-
ten by two area artists is revolutio-
nizing the way people look at
Northwest Native Indian art.

Entitled Northwest Coast Native
Indian Art — Learn By Doing, the
book has been widely accepted as
the first ever self-help guide to
creating Northwest Indian art-
work, its authors said.

Authors Karin Clark and Jim

Gilbert said the book not only -

teaches wood carving and painting
to novices but it also has therapeu-
tic applications.

“You can boost people’s intelli-
gence as well as self-esteem in
teaching them this artform from
the textbook,’’ Clark, a teacher of
Native Indian studies, said.

“This is a thinking kind of
artform.”

A second-generation artist liv-
ing in Central Saanich, Gilbert
said the textbook teaches North-
west Indian art on a simple step-
by-step basis that’s ideal for class-
room instruction.

Having served a 20-year infor-
mal apprenticeship in Native
Indian artwork, Gilbert said he
feels the textbook also makes’ the:
artform more widely accessible
and easy to learn.

That’s why Gilbert and Clark
struggled for nearly two years

before succeeding in getting the

provincial government to intro-
duce the text to the school system.
Clark said it wasn’t until late
1988 that the Ministry of Educa-
tion accepted 300 copies of the
book for its library purchase plan.

NORTHWEST COAST
NATIVE Incian Art textbook
authors Jim Gilbert and
Karin Clark pose in front of
a treasured example of
Gilbert's own handiwork.

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Efforts to obtain government
funding to publish the book had
fallen on deaf ears two years
earlier and the pair decided to go
ahead and publish it themselves.

They saw a need for the book,
especially since Clark successfully
taught this artform without any
prescribed text and had seen
plenty of positive feedback from
students.

As far back as 1982, she began
teaching in Saanich, using the
methods she and Gilbert had
developed and had Jater decided to
set in print.

“We used a typical mainstream
culture way of teaching this art
form, using analysis of the art and
then by putting it back together
again,” she said.

“We tried to make the building
blocks so small anyone could do
it.”

In fact, some of Clark’s early
teaching successes in the Saanich
school district were with both
learning-disabled and emotionally
disturbed children, she said.

“The artform encourages per-
severance and an internal confir-
mation of self worth,” Clark said.

Encouraged by the classroom
successes, the pair took out a
$12,000 loan in the spring of 1987
and, forming Raven Publishing,
published their first 350 copies of
the book.

The easy-to-follow textbook was
written so that it could be used as
a teaching tool by virtually anyone
with no Native Indian studies or
artistic background, Clark said.

“We wanted to make sure teach-
ers felt very confident when they
get the textbook that they could
just follow the steps outlined,” she
said.

Since it was first published, the
book has attracted widespread
interest internationally, with orders
coming in from private schools,
Native Indian schools, museum
gift shops and learning institutes
in the United States, Gilbert said.

“There was a demand in the
field. No one had seen anything
like this before and were they ever
thrilled,” Clark said.

Their second press run involved
another 350 books, which sold
briskly, prompting another 2,000
books to be published two weeks
ago to meet a growing demand,
Gilbert said.

“The project is starting to snow-
ball, now with demand for a text to
teach more advanced artwork,”

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TheReview

Clark said.

Aimed at 11-18 year-old stu-
dents, the text has surprisingly also
attracted interest among Northwest
Indian artists, who find it very
useful, Gilbert said.

He added the textbook has
applications for all sorts of styles
of artwork, including fabric weav-
ing, painting, print making, stained
glass making, designing murals, as
well as sculpting wood.

Now, a more advanced instruc-
tional book is in the pipeline so
students and artists alike can
further develop their proficiency in
Native Indian artwork, the authors
said.

Gilbert feels their book has
breathed new life into an artform
that nearly died out in he 1950s
but which may now develop a
worldwide following.

ECKANKAR

The New Age Religion

WORSHIP SERVICE

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 7:30 pm
8611 Lochside Dr., Sidney

SAANICH
& THE ISLANDS

WORKING FOR®

| Mel Gouvelier, MLA for

Saanich & the Islands

| wants to know your con-

cerns. -
Please visit the
Constituency office:
2388 Beacon Ave.
Sidney, B.C. 656-6232
Mon.-Fri. 8:30-4:30 or by Appt.

Wednesday, October 10,1990 — A112 §&

=== —————————————————————
Book breathes new life intounique art form (MEL COUVvELIER]

WANT TO TEACH?

LOVE TO DRIVE?

Young Drivers of Canada needs part time/full time
Instructors in the Sidney area. Applicants must
have 5 years driving exp., be expert drivers, have a
min. of grade 12, enjoy working with people, and be
available for evening and weekend lessons. Please
call Victoria - 382-4822.

ag

One Mayor
Six Aldermen
Two School Trustees

himself accordingly.

DISTRICT OF NORTH SAANICH
NOTICE OF ELECTION

Public Notice is given to the electors of the District of North
Saanich that | require the presence of the electors at the
North Saanich Municipal Hall, 1620 Mills Rd., North Saanich,
B.C. on Monday, October 29, 1990 at 10:00 A.M. to elect
persons to represent them as follows:

(three-year term)
(three-year terms)
(three-year terms)

The mode of nomination of candidates shall be as follows:

Candidates shall be nominated in writing by two quali-
fied electors of the Municipality.

The nomination paper shall be delivered to the Return-
ing Officer at any time between the date of this notice and
NOON of the day of nomination (Monday, October 29,
1990). The nomination paper may be in the form provided
in the Municipal Act, and-shall state the name, residence
and occupation of the person nominated in a manner
sufficient to identify the candidate. The nomination paper
shall be signed by the candidate.

In the event a poll is necessary, the poll will be opened at the
North Saanich Municipal Hall, 1620 Mills Road, North
Saanich, B.G., on Saturday, November 17, 1990 between the
hours of 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 PM.

An Advance Poll will be opened at the North Saanich
Municipal Hall, 1620 Mills Road, North Saanich, B.C. on
Friday, November 9, 1990 and Friday, November 16, 1990
between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 7:00 PM._

Of which every person is required to take notice and govern

Dated at North Saanich, B.C. this 10th day of October, 1990. *

Joan E. Schill
Returning Officer

4a