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害羞草研究所檜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.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 old school,害羞草研究所� Good said as he carefully sanded and shaped the wood. 害羞草研究所淪ometimes I end up designing some of the pieces or sometimes he does a design, and then if he害羞草研究所檚 already done a design, I害羞草研究所檒l just jump in and help where I can.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檚 designs.
The showcase by the Good family害羞草研究所檚 design house Ay Lelum titled Your Spirit was a tribute to 害羞草研究所渙ur brother, son, uncle, Joel Good who passed away suddenly on August 28,害羞草研究所� an announcer explained. 害羞草研究所淭his is to honour and share his beautiful artwork.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檜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 害羞草研究所� The Good House of Design, which features artwork from Joel and both their parents.
害羞草研究所淗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害羞草研究所檚 all of his artwork, but he害羞草研究所檚 also in the background, in the idea process,害羞草研究所� Aunalee said in a 2023 video celebrating Good害羞草研究所檚 City of Nanaimo Excellence in Culture Award.
In the week before he died, Good sent Aunalee some fresh designs he was working on.
害羞草研究所淏efore his passing I showed him the .125 showcase .375 designs and he said they were 害羞草研究所榙ope,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Aunalee wrote in a statement.
In a subsequent Instagram post, she acknowledged that it had been 害羞草研究所渁 really tough week害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淭hat exhibit was really about intergenerational sharing and passing the torch to another generation by working together every day. When I think of William害羞草研究所檚 life work, it is to revive hul害羞草研究所檘umi害羞草研究所檔um art, which is art as language,害羞草研究所� said Birch.
害羞草研究所淲hat .125Joel.375 and other young Coast Salish artists are doing is resurging the art. It害羞草研究所檚 not just reviving it but helping it to thrive 害羞草研究所� when you think about all the pieces that Joel .125and William.375 have around Nanaimo 害羞草研究所� 10 years ago there was so little Coast Salish art.害羞草研究所�
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 害羞草研究所渋s a messenger between heaven and earth,害羞草研究所� William told the Salish Sea Sentinel in 2019. 害羞草研究所淲hen we pass away, it害羞草研究所檚 a supernatural eagle that brings us to heaven.害羞草研究所�
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 害羞草研究所嫼π卟菅芯克鶍Stiil害羞草研究所檔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 害羞草研究所� waking up at 6 a.m. each morning and getting straight to work.
He described having the pieces on display at Stiil害羞草研究所檔ep as being 害羞草研究所渓ike taking back what was ours害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渉aving that representation that we害羞草研究所檝e always been here.害羞草研究所�
Lawrence Mitchell (Tsumkwatun) of Snaw-naw-as First Nation, a relative of Joel害羞草研究所檚, also noted the artist害羞草研究所檚 lineage as 害羞草研究所渢he great-great-grandson of Chief Louis Good, the son of the original chief of the seven amalgamated tribes known as Snuneymuxw,害羞草研究所� he told a crowd attending the unveiling, 害羞草研究所渁nd these house posts are erected in the original village site where they would have lived and ruled.害羞草研究所�
These artworks 害羞草研究所� such as his paintings on the concrete of the Harewood Skate Park 害羞草研究所� demonstrate just how versatile and fluid an artist Joel was, and how he moved through so many local subcultures, said Birch.
害羞草研究所淥ne thing that made him unique was that he worked in traditional practice but he was really open to working with different media,害羞草研究所� said Birch, who added that Joel was also an accomplished painter.
害羞草研究所淟ike with the spindle whorl he did down by The Vault 害羞草研究所� it was vandalized and he was like, 害羞草研究所極kay well let害羞草研究所檚 make it metal, it doesn害羞草研究所檛 need to be wood. It just needs to tell the story, in my style.害羞草研究所� And that害羞草研究所檚 really cool.害羞草研究所�
Much of Joel害羞草研究所檚 artwork took place in collaboration with an artistic family that he described as having a 害羞草研究所渕assive talent pool害羞草研究所� in a 2012 interview with the Nanaimo Daily News.
Joel害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淒ad害羞草研究所檚 Coast Salish style and mom害羞草研究所檚 form. The carving technique from him and the painting technique from her. He was perfect at both their mediums.害羞草研究所�
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 害羞草研究所渂orn with these gifts害羞草研究所� and proclaimed that 害羞草研究所渨e害羞草研究所檝e lost our greatest artist.害羞草研究所�
Though art was all around Joel growing up, his parents started the Art of Siem gallery and shop on the Harbourfront walkway 害羞草研究所� he started working as a professional artist sometime in 2007.
害羞草研究所淚 was working out at a mill in Errington and was making really good money, and one day I just randomly decided, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檓 going to be a professional artist,害羞草研究所� and I literally just quit my job,害羞草研究所� he told the Daily News. 害羞草研究所淚 was so stubborn. Once I had decided that this was what I was going to do, there was nothing else. It didn害羞草研究所檛 matter if I ended up on the street.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檚 and chancellor害羞草研究所檚 ceremonial regalia worn at convocation.
害羞草研究所淎ll of Joel害羞草研究所檚 designs, including the spindle whorl in the Trades Discovery Centre, were derived from traditional legends and through extensive archival research into the original style,害羞草研究所� said a statement from the university. 害羞草研究所淛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.害羞草研究所�
Over the coming weeks and months, Joel害羞草研究所檚 designs for the City of Nanaimo害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淎nyone害羞草研究所檚 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,害羞草研究所� said Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog.
害羞草研究所淭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.害羞草研究所�
