The Art of Francis Dick (Kwakwaka’wakw)

The Art of Francis Dick (Kwakwaka’wakw)

Francis Dick, a Kwakwaka’wakw artist born in 1959, comes from the Musqamakw Dzawadaenutw Band of Kingcome Inlet and descends from the supernatural Wolf, Kawadelekala. She grew up in Alert Bay and later moved to Victoria, where she chose art over social work.

She created her first painting in 1985. Much of her work reflects the Kawadelekala story and her cultural roots. The print Long Beach marked her first piece outside her cultural themes and the first not titled in Kwakwala.

Francis paints and makes prints, but she also drums and sings. She became the first woman to join her tribe’s formerly all‑male singers. She wrote and produced Wi’woma: Honouring the Spirit of Women, a ceremonial performance staged for several years due to strong community support.

Francis Dick plays an active role in the Northwest Coast art community and speaks often at cultural groups, women’s organizations, and universities. Her lectures have reached as far as the University of Berlin. Her art has shown worldwide, including a permanent exhibit at Berlin’s Ethnological Museum, and appears in many publications, books, and calendars.