Carving on the Edge Festival 2021

The leaders of the Carving on the Edge Festival have always believed that art lifts people’s spirits. This past year has been difficult and the hard work isn’t done yet. This community is resilient and its strength has inspired the Carving on the Edge Festival team to reinvent and revision how we continue our work of encouraging the growth of the carving community and building much-needed cultural bridges.

For thousands of years, the monumental trees of the coastal temperate rainforests in Clayoquot sound have inspired a rich and diverse carving culture - from the practical purposes of the dug-out canoe to the ceremonial roles of headdresses and the record-keeping of great totem poles. Coastal carving has made unique contributions to fine art and archival collections around the world. The annual Carving on the Edge Festival celebrates the traditional and contemporary west coast carving arts, the carving artists, and the rich cultural history of our region. The festival offers opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the coastal traditions of carving with the goals of encouraging the growth of the carving community and of building much-needed cultural bridges. 

The 2021 Carving on the Edge Festival is going online this year, and will feature the works of Gordon Dick, Kelly Robinson, and more! Joe Martin will be mentoring apprentices on stewardship and canoe carving, and Hesquiaht elders will be hosting a session about language revitalization efforts. The festival will also include self-guided tours and resources to help participants explore all of the spectacular carvings across Nuu-chah-nulth territory, from Tofino to Port Alberni and everything in between. There will also be a new website where you can learn about past festivals and community projects related to the festival. Please stay tuned for more details as the festival event calendar is finalized! 

April 2024

May 2024

June 2024

July 2024

August 2024