NAA'WAYA'SUM
CARVING STUDIO and art gallery

With support from First Peoples’ Cultural Council Heritage Infrastructure Fund, the University of Victoria’s Civil Engineering Department and RJC Engineers, we are building a new facility. A carving studio, art gallery and learning space will to better serve resident carvers and host arts- and culture-based community programs. 

Since 2021, several Nuu-chah-nulth carvers have created culturally significant pieces at the Clayoquot Campus, including totems, welcome figures, and dugout canoes. The new carving space will have several health, safety and comfort improvements, including proper insulation, secure tool storage, nearby washrooms, air filtration  and structural supports for working with monumental trees.

The new studio and gallery space will preserve intergenerational knowledge and expand access to knowledge sharing programs and events by providing a comfortable, purpose-built and culturally-attuned space for year-round use.