Clarence "Butch" Dick
Born1946 (1946)
NationalityLekwungen First Nation
Known forMaster Carver of Coast Salish totem poles

Clarence "Butch" Dick RCA (Yux'way'lupton) (born 1946) is a Lekwungen artist, educator and activist residing in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.[1][2]

Education

Dick attended residential school in Penelakut Island, Indian day school, and public and private schools in Victoria. [1] He studied design at the Vancouver School of Art in the 1960s, as well as at Camosun College. [1]

Career

Dick began his career in education first at Shoreline Middle school (District 61), teaching First Nations arts & culture in the early 1980s. He was an assistant professor at University of Victoria, where he taught an Indigenous Learning course. He is also regarded as a Master Carver of Coast Salish totem poles. Dick is now an elder of the Songhees First Nation community[1].[3]

Public art

In 2014, Dick was the designer of the Rock Bay Mural Project on Government and Princess streets in Victoria, BC, in collaboration with Darlene Gait. The project was a collaboration between the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, BC Hydro and Tervita Corporation.[4]

"Two Brothers" Spirit Poles in Spirit Square, Victoria, BC are a collaboration between Butch Dick and his son, Clarence Jr. The painted wood poles were erected in 2009 and are 18 feet high. The pair comprises a traditionally designed pole by Dick and a contemporary design by Clarence Jr.[5]

"Signs of Lekwungen" is a collaboration between Butch Dick, and his sons, Clarence and Bradley. The work is located on 680 Montreal Street in Victoria, B.C. in Laurel Point Park. The sculpture depicts a Coast Salish spindle whorl, in a bronze-cast carving originally done with close-grain Red Cedar. The bronze-casting is anchored to a brown powder coated aluminum pole. The sculpture is 2.5 metres in height and weighs 1000 lbs.[6]

Collections

His work is included in the collections of the British Museum[7] and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.[8]

Awards

Dick was awarded the lifetime achievement award by Leadership Victoria in 2015. He was the first aboriginal elder to receive this award. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Petrescu, Sarah. "Totem poles, murals, carvings: you've likely admired Butch Dick's art". Times Colonist. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Butch Dick - Bridging Worlds — Songhees Nation". www.songheesnation.ca. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  3. ↑ ""Two Brothers" Spirit Poles". www.crd.bc.ca. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Rock Bay Mural Project by Butch Dick (designer), Darlene Gait (designer)". artsvictoria.ca.
  5. ↑ ""Two Brothers" Spirit Poles in Spirit Square by Butch Dick". artsvictoria.ca.
  6. ↑ "Signs of Lekwungen - Laurel Point by Butch Dick, Clarence Dick, Bradley Dick". artsvictoria.ca.
  7. ↑ "print | British Museum". The British Museum.
  8. ↑ "Clarence Dick – People – eMuseum". aggv.ca.
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