Fortiani» Oftbserüer
Page 8
Boss Hogg
ENIEEEAINMENE
Christmas Tree Lot
Any Doug Fir 5-7 ft. $20.00
Any Grand Fir 5-7 ft. $20.00
Any Nobel Fir 5-7 ft. $30.00
New Location:
MLK between Bryant and Morgan
Gerding Theater at the A rm ory
128 N W Eleventh Avenue
505.445.3700
December 24, 2014
Richard Hunt, a noted Native pole carver, touches up the “ Welcoming Pole” on the Sylvania Campus
o f Portland Community College.
Native Carver Restores Totem Pole
‘Welcoming Pole’on PCC Campus gets a new life
pcs.org
Portland Community College’s
prized 30-foot red cedar "Welcom
ing Pole" at the Sylvania Campus is
getting a second life after 13 years of
damage from rot, insects and wood
peckers. The totem pole is being
refurbished thanks to award-win
ning Native artist Richard Hunt and
Sylvania's Division Dean of Visual
and Performing Arts Gene Flores.
The two men have fixed the dam
age and repainted the totem pole
with bright colors to restore it to its
previous glory. It will be placed in
side a new stm i-glass atrium en
trance to the College Center at the
southwest Portland campus.
Hunt traveled down from his
home studio in Victoria, B.C., to lead
the effort. PCC’s totem pole is the
last one he ever carved and the only
one of his that resides at an Ameri
can community college.
"I haven't seen this one in awhile,"
he said. "I think it's one of my better
ones."
Hunt, who began carving at 12
years o f age alongside his father
Henry, is part o f a four-generation
carving and art fam ily in northern
V ancouver Island. Hunt's grand
father, C hief M ungo M artin, was
largely responsible for the resur
rection o f Northw est Coast carv
ing.
In 1973, he began working at the
Royal British Columbia Museum as
an apprentice carver under his fa
ther and the following year he as
sumed the duties as chief carver in
Native history is preserved.
the Thunderbird Park Carving pro
gram. He remained in that position
until he left to become a full-time
artist in 1986. Now, much like the
generations before him, Hunt has
totem poles standing all over the
world.
Towering carved cedar totem
poles are part of the heritage of .the
Pacific Northwest Native tribes.
They are filled with the images and
myths from their world like bear,
thunderbird, killer whale, and the
like. The PCC "Welcoming Pole"
consists of Hunt's family symbols -
salmon, bear, eagle, snake and moon.
He said his whole family carves,
continuing the tradition of one of
Canada's most respected carving
clans.