Carving On the Edge Virtual Festival

The Carving on the Edge Festival has undergone a recent reinvention and has emerged with a new format and new programming! The 2021 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. Please stay tuned for more details as the festival event calendar is finalized!

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.