Lattimer Gallery Charity Bentwood Boxes

One of the coolest things currently happening in the Northwest Coast Native Art scene is Lattimer Gallery's annual Charity Bentwood Box Event.  The gallery has been doing this for the past five years and it is based around the unconventional ornamentation of small, hand-made cedar steam-bent boxes by British Columbia's top First Nations artists and jewelers. The boxes all start off looking the same, but artists are encouraged to manipulate and decorate them in experimental ways.

All of the work in the creation of these small cedar boxes is donated: the boxes themselves are steam-bent and donated by Metis/Cree artist James Michels; the promotion and collected funds are donated by Lattimer Gallery; and the artwork is donated by the artists. The boxes are sold through silent auction and can be seen online at www.lattimergallery.com. Current selling prices are updated in realtime on Lattimer Gallery's website, and bids can be placed in person, via email, or by phone. Bids are accepted between November 24-December 8 this year. 

Artists involved for 2012 include Haida artist Don Yeomans, Kwakwaka'wakw artist Richard Sumner, and Heiltsuk artist Bradley Hunt.

The money raised will be donated to Urban Native Youth Association, a Vancouver organization which has been providing 21 prevention-focused programs and services to Native Youth since 1988 to help them meet their immediate and longer-term needs. They have started an Endowment Fund for Native youth, and Lattimer Gallery will work with UNYA for three years to help develop this fund.

Keywords: "Native Art Vancouver", "Alex Dawkins", "Northwest Coast Gifts"