Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art

The Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art focuses on traditional First Nations Pacific Northwest Coast Art and is located on the unceded territory of the Ts'msyen Nation in Terrace, BC; Canada. Named after the Haida artist Freda Diesing, one of the first female carvers on the modern Northwest coast, aka Kant Wuss, Skill-kew-wat & Wee-hwe-doasl, who was born in the Sadsugohilanes Clan of the Haida in British Columbia to Flossie and Frank Johnson. Her Haida name, Skill-kew-wat, translates roughly as Magical Little Woman. At the age of 42, she undertook woodcarving apprenticeships under artists including Robert Davidson (artist).[1] In 2000, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Coast Mountain College. In 2002, she received an National Aboriginal Achievement Award and honorary doctorate from the University of Northern British Columbia.[2]

The school was opened in the Fall of 2006 by one of Freda's students Dempsey Bob and two of his nephews, Ken McNeil and Stan Bevan.[3] The school focuses on carving in the Northern Style, with drawing, painting, art history and tool-making courses supporting the carving component of the school.

The school frequently invites guest speakers for presentations. These speakers have included Robert Davidson, Roy Henry Vickers, Keith Smartch, Bill McLennan, Greg Schauff, and representatives from the Royal BC Museum, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and other institutions representing the arts and culture in the Northwest Coast.

The First Nations Fine Arts program is unique because it is a university credit program, recognized by Emily Carr University of Art and Design.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10], that focuses on First Nations art and culture in a context where the culture and people who originated it live today.

The school can accept about 20 students in an academic year and, as of September 2010, the school has had 31 graduates.