Object Catalog Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Wil Uks T'aa Medik or "Cape Chacon," 2017 |
Object # |
2018.2.7.1 |
Object Name |
Bag, Devilfish |
Date |
2017 |
Artist |
McGilton, Kandi (Mangyepsa Gyipaayg) |
Description |
Devilfish bag titled, "Wil Uks T'aa Medik" or "Cape Chacon" by Kandi McGilton (Mangyepsa Gyipaayg), 2017. Bag is made out of a dark purple wool blend outer shell, pink and purple cotton batik lining, and trimmed with white double sided bias tape. The design on the front consists of gold, black, and white 11/0 seed beads. Long strap attached. The artist's tag is sewn on the back leg second from the right. This bag was created over the course of a semester teaching high school students how to sew and bead in the Annette Island School District. It was completed in fall of 2017. Inspiration for Wil Uks T'aa Medik came from 2017's seaweed harvest. Cape Chacon is located on the southern tip of Prince of Wales Island across Clarence Strait from Annette Island, and the area has been used for harvesting seaweed and other subsistence foods like herring eggs and mussels. The beads create a seaweed motif. As the artist explains, "On the Pacific Northwest Coast seaweed is called black gold, which immediately made me compare it to the European ideals of being rich and the compared values between our peoples. Purple was the color of royalty because it was a hard color to dye." |
Provenance |
Kandi McGilton (Mangyepsa Gyipaayg) is a Tsimshian artist profoundly inspired by her heritage. Growing up in Metlakatla, a small fishing village on Annette Island, during a time of cultural resurgence has inspired her pursuit and preservation of traditional activities. She is a self-taught beader and emerging basket weaver. In 2014, McGilton began formally training with master weavers Delores Churchill and Holly Churchill in Tsimshian basket weaving techniques. In 2017, the Rasmuson Foundation recognized McGilton as an emerging Alaskan artist and granted her an Individual Artist Award to pursue an apprenticeship with Delores. Kandi is co-founder and secretary-treasurer of the Haayk Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the Tsimshian language, history, and traditions of the people of Annette Island. Additionally, McGilton is co-leader of the Gitlaxlikst'aa, Metlakatla's original Tsimshian dance group. She is becoming well-known for her exquisitely beaded "devilfish" (octopus) bags. Her bags follow a traditional design and sometimes feature experimental beadwork. She produces almost exclusively on commission, having created personalized bags for renowned artist David A. Boxley and Gavin Hudson, co-founder of the Haayk Foundation. Kandi McGilton completed "Wil Uks T'aa Medik" in 2017. The bag was used as a teaching tool in the Annette Island School District during Kandi's devilfish bag making class with high schoolers. The bag has not won awards or had previous owners. Ketchikan Museums was awarded a $2700 Rasmuson Foundation Art Acquisition Grant to purchase the bag. |
Material |
Wool/Cotton/Seed Beads |
Dimensions |
W-11 L-41 inches |
Dimension Details |
Length includes strap Dimensions without strap: 20" L x 11" W |
People |
McGilton, Kandi (Mangyepsa Gyipaayg) |
Search Terms |
Northwest Coast Art Art Tsimshian Metlakatla, Alaska Annette Island School District Art Acquisition Fund Grant funded purchase - Rasmuson Foundation Artifact of the Month article |
Multimedia link |
Link to Artifact of the Month Virtual Exhibit record |
Credit line |
Ketchikan Museums: Rasmuson Foundation Art Acquisition, KM 2018.2.7.1 |