Susan Point is a Coast Salish artist from the Musqueam First Nation. Their territory lies within what is now the City of Vancouver.
At age 29, Susan enlisted in a Native Jewellery course at Vancouver Community College. It was around this time that Susan learned about Coast Salish art. There had been very little written about it and she hadn’t been aware that the Coast Salish had their own style of art. Susan explains, “No one even knew of the Coast Salish art style and I was determined at that time to revive and make the public aware of this unique style of art.”
Through her work Susan Point has stimulated, perhaps initiated the revival of the Coast Salish art form. There are a lot of young artists today who are specifically creating Coast Salish art. This is not surprising to Susan. She says “Salish art has a universal appeal. It is very easy to read and understand.”
Throughout her career as an artist, Susan’s work has been evolving constantly. Influenced by her life’s experiences, her art has pushed boundaries in a contemporary sense. This is often evidenced by her lighthearted choice of colours.
Susan is perhaps best known for her public art installations. Public art is something she loves to do as it can be appreciated by everyone. She has also released many limited edition screen prints over the years and they continue to be highly sought after by collectors worldwide.