Cushion Cover- Whale

Ernest Swanson

As a matrilineal descendent of iconic Haida artist such as Charles Edenshaw and a grandson to the late Rufus Moody, Ernest continues his family’s legacy by creating traditional Haida art. In 2004, he began to work with artists such as Jim McGuire, Christian White and his cousin, Chief Edenso “James Hart”.  Ernest assisted James Hart with carving of the Celebration of Bill Reid pole that was raised in 2009 at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art in Vancouver. He also has a passion for working with youth, and has worked diverse youth groups in HIV/AIDS awareness, mural paintings, drum making workshops, Haida language and history, dance classes, traditional storytelling, and designing workshops, with organizations including the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society, Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada, the Olympic Museum (Lausanne, Switzerland), and the Old Massett Village Teen Centre.