By Julie Chadwick and Cara McKenna, Local Journalism Initiative Reporters INDIGINEWS
A showcase by the Snuneymuxw family design house Ay Lelum at New York Fashion Week paid tribute to their relative W. Joel Good ts含羞草研究社檜sqinuxun after the artist died suddenly.
The show on Sept. 7 opened with an onstage screen that played a video of Good working on a carving with guidance from his father.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 old school,含羞草研究社� Good said as he carefully sanded and shaped the wood. 含羞草研究社淪ometimes I end up designing some of the pieces or sometimes he does a design, and then if he含羞草研究社檚 already done a design, I含羞草研究社檒l just jump in and help where I can.含羞草研究社�
As the video faded out, the sound of soft Coast Salish music by his sisters filled the room as models began to walk out, one by one, wearing clothing adorned with Good含羞草研究社檚 designs.
The showcase by the Good family含羞草研究社檚 design house Ay Lelum titled Your Spirit was a tribute to 含羞草研究社渙ur brother, son, uncle, Joel Good who passed away suddenly on August 28,含羞草研究社� an announcer explained. 含羞草研究社淭his is to honour and share his beautiful artwork.含羞草研究社�
Good, who had just turned 40, was a central force in continuing the resurgence of traditional Snuneymuxw carving started by his father, hereditary chief, historian, honorary doctorate-holder and master carver William Good ts含羞草研究社檜sqinuxun. He also inherited a rich artistic tradition from his mother, painter and fashion designer Sandra Moorhouse-Good thul te lada.
The two artistic traditions combined powerfully in the work Joel collaborated on with his sisters Aunalee Boyd-Good and Sophia Seward Good at their design house Ay Lelum 含羞草研究社� The Good House of Design, which features artwork from Joel and both their parents.
含羞草研究社淗e is a huge part of what Sophia and I do. Not only do you walk in and see his art everywhere, or watch a showcase and it含羞草研究社檚 all of his artwork, but he含羞草研究社檚 also in the background, in the idea process,含羞草研究社� Aunalee said in a 2023 video celebrating Good含羞草研究社檚 City of Nanaimo Excellence in Culture Award.
In the week before he died, Good sent Aunalee some fresh designs he was working on.
含羞草研究社淏efore his passing I showed him the .125 showcase .375 designs and he said they were 含羞草研究社榙ope,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Aunalee wrote in a statement.
In a subsequent Instagram post, she acknowledged that it had been 含羞草研究社渁 really tough week含羞草研究社� and though it was difficult to go through the process of getting the show out she thanked everyone for their love and support.
The collection features the Good family crest, a Supernatural Eagle created by Joel, and the accompanying music was written by his sisters and produced by Rob the Viking, and includes the sounds of Joel carving. A second song was recorded the day after Joel died with Aunalee, Sophia and his childhood friend Eli Buffalo, who shared the Cree Grandmother song to guide his friend on his journey, according to Ay Lelum.
The showcase happened after a week of grieving and ceremony, with services at Snuneymuxw First Nation on Sept. 4 and 5. Many in the City of Nanaimo and beyond remember Joel含羞草研究社檚 legacy as an artist who will resonate in the community for generations to come.
Father and son regularly worked on artistic projects together in the family work space along the Nanaimo River. One day, as Nanaimo Art Gallery curator Jesse Birch watched the two carving across from one another, the inspiration for a 2019 show at the NAG titled Across The Table about cross-generational collaborations was formed.
含羞草研究社淭hat exhibit was really about intergenerational sharing and passing the torch to another generation by working together every day. When I think of William含羞草研究社檚 life work, it is to revive hul含羞草研究社檘umi含羞草研究社檔um art, which is art as language,含羞草研究社� said Birch.
含羞草研究社淲hat .125Joel.375 and other young Coast Salish artists are doing is resurging the art. It含羞草研究社檚 not just reviving it but helping it to thrive 含羞草研究社� when you think about all the pieces that Joel .125and William.375 have around Nanaimo 含羞草研究社� 10 years ago there was so little Coast Salish art.含羞草研究社�
Some of these pieces include Supernatural Eagle Bringing the Sun Back to the World, a carving that fronts the main entrance to the gallery.
The Supernatural Eagle 含羞草研究社渋s a messenger between heaven and earth,含羞草研究社� William told the Salish Sea Sentinel in 2019. 含羞草研究社淲hen we pass away, it含羞草研究社檚 a supernatural eagle that brings us to heaven.含羞草研究社�
Under the guidance of William, Joel also carved a pair of house posts made from five-metre-tall yellow cedar posts that now stand in 含羞草研究社嫼卟菅芯可鐙Stiil含羞草研究社檔ep (Departure Bay), an important village site of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
The poles are joined by a portal piece in the centre cut from steel and depicting a frog, which was designed to emulate the front of a longhouse.
In an interview with the Salish Sea Sentinel in 2018 shortly after the house posts were revealed, Joel spoke about working on the carvings every day for seven months straight 含羞草研究社� waking up at 6 a.m. each morning and getting straight to work.
He described having the pieces on display at Stiil含羞草研究社檔ep as being 含羞草研究社渓ike taking back what was ours含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社渉aving that representation that we含羞草研究社檝e always been here.含羞草研究社�
Lawrence Mitchell (Tsumkwatun) of Snaw-naw-as First Nation, a relative of Joel含羞草研究社檚, also noted the artist含羞草研究社檚 lineage as 含羞草研究社渢he great-great-grandson of Chief Louis Good, the son of the original chief of the seven amalgamated tribes known as Snuneymuxw,含羞草研究社� he told a crowd attending the unveiling, 含羞草研究社渁nd these house posts are erected in the original village site where they would have lived and ruled.含羞草研究社�
These artworks 含羞草研究社� such as his paintings on the concrete of the Harewood Skate Park 含羞草研究社� demonstrate just how versatile and fluid an artist Joel was, and how he moved through so many local subcultures, said Birch.
含羞草研究社淥ne thing that made him unique was that he worked in traditional practice but he was really open to working with different media,含羞草研究社� said Birch, who added that Joel was also an accomplished painter.
含羞草研究社淟ike with the spindle whorl he did down by The Vault 含羞草研究社� it was vandalized and he was like, 含羞草研究社極kay well let含羞草研究社檚 make it metal, it doesn含羞草研究社檛 need to be wood. It just needs to tell the story, in my style.含羞草研究社� And that含羞草研究社檚 really cool.含羞草研究社�
Much of Joel含羞草研究社檚 artwork took place in collaboration with an artistic family that he described as having a 含羞草研究社渕assive talent pool含羞草研究社� in a 2012 interview with the Nanaimo Daily News.
Joel含羞草研究社檚 mother Sandra Moorhouse-Good, a fashion designer and painter who grew up learning traditional oil painting from her grandfather Herbert Moorhouse, was also a huge influence on his work, said Aunalee.
含羞草研究社淒ad含羞草研究社檚 Coast Salish style and mom含羞草研究社檚 form. The carving technique from him and the painting technique from her. He was perfect at both their mediums.含羞草研究社�
Joel was humble about his talent, and enjoyed going into classrooms to teach about his art, according to his family. They noted that his ability to sketch was evident at an early age, and the designs came through him like a vessel. William said Joel was 含羞草研究社渂orn with these gifts含羞草研究社� and proclaimed that 含羞草研究社渨e含羞草研究社檝e lost our greatest artist.含羞草研究社�
Though art was all around Joel growing up, his parents started the Art of Siem gallery and shop on the Harbourfront walkway 含羞草研究社� he started working as a professional artist sometime in 2007.
含羞草研究社淚 was working out at a mill in Errington and was making really good money, and one day I just randomly decided, 含羞草研究社業含羞草研究社檓 going to be a professional artist,含羞草研究社� and I literally just quit my job,含羞草研究社� he told the Daily News. 含羞草研究社淚 was so stubborn. Once I had decided that this was what I was going to do, there was nothing else. It didn含羞草研究社檛 matter if I ended up on the street.含羞草研究社�
Vancouver Island University flew its flags at half mast last week as a tribute to the life and artistic contributions of Joel, who was an alumnus of the school. In 2018, the university commissioned Joel to carve a spindle whorl featuring a seawolf and his artwork is featured on the president含羞草研究社檚 and chancellor含羞草研究社檚 ceremonial regalia worn at convocation.
含羞草研究社淎ll of Joel含羞草研究社檚 designs, including the spindle whorl in the Trades Discovery Centre, were derived from traditional legends and through extensive archival research into the original style,含羞草研究社� said a statement from the university. 含羞草研究社淛oel touched many people in the community. He was a master artist who played a critical, irreplaceable role in the revitalization of traditional Coast Salish art.含羞草研究社�
Over the coming weeks and months, Joel含羞草研究社檚 designs for the City of Nanaimo含羞草研究社檚 utility covers will be released, and are expected to replace all the current storm, water and utility covers in the city over the next decade as the new designs will be used anytime old covers need replacement.
Joel含羞草研究社檚 artwork is woven into the fabric of the city. The Snuneymuxw-owned Courtyard Marriott hotel also features his work heavily as he carved a spindle whorl in the lobby and his art is featured around the hotel on every floor. Ay Lelum redesigned the hotel as a family project to honour the history of the site where the hotel sits.
含羞草研究社淎nyone含羞草研究社檚 death is a tragedy, but this one is particularly tragic because he had created so much extraordinary art in his lifetime already and there was much more to come,含羞草研究社� said Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog.
含羞草研究社淭his community has lost one of its most creative talents and a family has lost a beloved son and sibling, and the Snuneymuxw First Nation one of its outstanding lights.含羞草研究社�
