Officially one year after the opening of the new Burke Museum and in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, the , , and the Washington State Arts Commission () are honored to announce a new outdoor installation called Guests of the Great River that greets guests as you arrive at the museum鈥檚 east entrance. Created by Chinook Indian Nation Chairman and artist and artist Adam McIsaac, the piece consists of 11 large-scale bronze paddles representing the arrival of a Chinookan canoe carrying cultural heroes of the Columbia River region, and with them the knowledge they embody.
Made possible thanks to funding from the Washington State Arts Commission in partnership with the UW, these larger-than-life bronze paddles were hand carved in wood by Johnson and McIsaac, then 3D scanned and enlarged in scale up to 11 feet, leaving the viewer in awe. The paddles are carved in a variety of Chinook styles and sizes鈥攕ome of which are hundreds of years old 鈥� that are still made and used by communities today. The notch on the top is distinct to the Columbia River and was used to grab hold of cottonwood roots along the river banks.
Guests from the Great River is installed in the shape of a canoe, representing the cultural protocol of canoe families landing on neighbors鈥� shores. The paddles are lifted in a traditional form of peaceful greeting and respect to the museum and its guests. Different stories and figures are portrayed on each paddle. These heroes have come to celebrate and enhance the educational opportunities that the Burke brings to the Pacific Northwest and the world.
Watch a video interview with the artists .
鈥淧eople that live here on this land without any knowledge of this information are really missing a big part of what makes this place itself,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淢y interest in sharing these stories and teachings is that people will treat the place differently, these aboriginal lands of ours鈥攁nd the aboriginal lands of our neighbors鈥攊f people were to really understand these stories.鈥�
鈥淭his is a magnificent artwork that honors the original peoples of this land,鈥� Karen Hanan, ArtsWA executive director, said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very pleased to include Guests from the Great River as part of Washington鈥檚 State Art Collection.
Each day the paddles鈥� shadows take one stroke across the entry plaza of the museum, perpetually in motion. 鈥淓very five minutes it鈥檚 changing from the way the sun鈥檚 hitting it. While I鈥檓 really excited to see it here today, I鈥檓 really excited to see it change over seasons and years,鈥� Johnson said.
鈥淎ll of the art on the Northwest Coast is about bringing people together, sharing, and inspiring,鈥� McIsaac said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I have gotten from my relationship with Tony and his people. And that is as much to be celebrated as the art is.鈥�
For high resolution images, videos, and interviews, contact burkepr@uw.edu.