Salish Knitting
Right: by May Sam; Left: by Sylvia, Joni, and Adam Olsen (Salish Fusion); Wool; 2012
In 2012, May Sam, Joni Olsen, Adam Olsen, and Sylvia Olsen were Visiting Artists in Anthropology 305: Anthropology of the Arts. They taught the class about the history of Salish knitting, and led them through the process of creating a piece using Coast Salish designs. Students participated in cleaning, carding, and spinning wool into yarn, and knitting yarn into patterns.
The commissioned pieces from this residency are displayed here. Elder May Sam created garments (on the right) featuring traditional Orca designs from hand spun wool, and the Olsen family created contemporary felted attire (on the left), featuring geometric patterns done on a knitting machine with hand knit detail. These garments represent how Salish knitting continues to be an innovative media for artists and is a functional as well as beautiful art form.
Learn more here.
