Susan Point's unique artworks have been credited with almost single-handedly reviving the traditional Coast Salish art style. Once nearly lost to the effects of colonization, the crescents, wedges, and human and animal forms characteristic of the art of Indigenous peoples living around the Salish Sea can now be seen around the world, reinvigorated with modern materials and techniques, in her serigraphs and public art installations--and in the works of a new generation of artists that she's inspired. People Among the People beautifully displays the breadth of Susan Point's public art, from cast-iron manhole covers to massive carved cedar spindle whorls, installed in locations from Vancouver to Zurich. Through extensive interviews and access to her archives, Robert D. Watt tells the story of each piece, whether it's the evolution from sketch to carving to casting, or the significance of the images and symbolism, which is informed by surviving traditional Salish works Point has studied and the Oral Traditions of her Musqueam family and elders. In her long quest to re-establish a Coast Salish footprint in Southwest British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest of the US, Point has received many honours, including the Order of Canada and the Audain Lifetime Achievement Award. This gorgeous and illuminating book makes it clear they are all richly deserved.
Kew, Micheal: - Dr. Michael Kew was born in Quesnel, B.C. in 1932. He is an in-married member of the Musqueam community through his late wife, Della Charles, and an "uncle" of Susan Point. He studied anthropology at UBC and the University of Washington, taught at UBC for many years, and is the author of many articles and books about First Nations art in B.C., including Susan Point: Coast Salish Artist (2000).
Point, Susan A.: - Susan A. Point is a descendant of the Musqueam and a leader of the resurgence of Coast Salish art. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has been awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, an Indspire Achievement Award, a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, and a lifetime appointment to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, among many other honours. Point has honorary doctorates from the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, and Emily Carr University of Art and Design. In 2018 she was awarded the Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.
Watt, Robert D.: - Robert D. Watt studied at UBC and Carleton University before working in the Public Archives of Canada, Capilano College, and as the City Archivist for the City of Vancouver. In 1973 he joined the Centennial Museum (now known as the Museum of Vancouver) as the Curator of History, and in 1980 was appointed Director of the Museum. In 1988 Mr. Watt was appointed the first Chief Herald of Canada, and upon his retirement in 2007 was appointed Rideau Herald Emeritus. His honours and awards include the 125th Canadian Confederation Medal, the Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals, and investiture into the Royal Victorian Order.
