Sharifah Marsden - Miigwetch

Lattimer Gallery has been carrying the jewellery and paintings of Sharifah Marsden for six years. Sharifah is an Anishinaabe artist from the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation in Ontario who has been living in Vancouver for the past fifteen years, and she strives to fuse her cultural roots with Northwest Coast forms. As her first solo show, Sharifah Marsden - Miigwetch features jewellery pieces created over the past two years during the artist’s studies at the Vancouver Metal Arts School. The word 'miigwetch' means 'thank you' in the Ojibwe language. Under the instruction of European goldsmith Gerold Mueller, Sharifah has learned hollow form jewellery design and stone-setting, processes she has added to her existing arsenal of hand-engraving techniques.

Throughout the 15 years I have lived in Vancouver, I have been active in the Native arts community, working in Native art galleries, attending Native arts programs, and connecting with other First Nations artists. The strong influence of Northwest Coast formline has influenced how I have chosen to develop my personal style, and my artistic practice. As I studied and was witness to the creations of the Northwest Coast, I was forced to analyze my own art, in the Anishinaabe style. Through the development of my own style, while living and growing here, I came to create my own sense of formline, within the Anishinaabe tradition. - Sharifah Marsden

This small exhibition will run between April 25th - May 16th, 2015 and an online preview will be available as of April 18th. Please join us for the opening and artist reception on April 25th between 4pm-6pm. Sharifah will be in attendance for this event, and refreshments will be provided. 

Valentine's Treat by Sharifah Marsden

Sharifah Marsden s/s heart-shaped pendants, 3/4" x 7/8", $120.00 each; Don Lancaster s/s totem beads, $30.00 each

Ojibway artist Sharifah Marsden has engraved beautiful heart-shaped pendants that would be great for that special someone this Valentine's Day. Sharifah's work is indicative of her Ojibway heritage and is detailed with beading, weaving and basketry designs. These pendants are small and versatile; they can be worn on the popular Pandora-style bracelets, on a necklace, or wherever your heart desires. Add a few small Don Lancaster sterling silver totem beads for some extra sparkle! Each heart-shaped pendant is available for $120.00 CAD, and each Don Lancaster totem bead for $30.00 CAD.

Barnacles to Butterflies: Unusual Imagery in NWC Silver Jewellery

Image: Kelvin Thompson, sterling silver + 14k yellow gold bracelet, Crabs, 1 3/8" x 6", $2,400.00

The online preview for Barnacles to Butterflies is now available on our website.

We are very excited to show our audience the diverse range of unusual designs that Northwest Coast artists have applied to sterling silver jewellery. While much of the imagery within silver jewellery created by British Columbia's First Nations engravers is based on family crest symbols, artists from the pacific Northwest have a long history of using their surroundings as inspiration. From Kelvin Thompson's spectacular Crabs bracelet to Clint Work's playful  Sea Urchin earrings to Dean Hunt's abstract Mushroom pendant, these Northwest Coast artists have created a selection of imaginative pieces that are really quite unusual.

Featured artists include Harold Alfred (Kwakwaka'wakw), Gwaai Edenshaw (Haida), Dean Hunt (Heiltsuk), Sharifah Marsden (Ojibwa), Carrie Matilpi (Kwakwaka'wakw/Carrier/Cree), Jeff Pat (Coast Salish), Justin Rivard (Cree), Kelvin Thompson (Ojibwa/Saulteaux/Haisla), Sonia Triebwasser (Kwakwaka'wakw), Barry Wilson (Haisla), Derek Wilson (Haisla), Dan Wallace (Kwakwaka'wakw/Haida) and Clinton Work (Kwakwaka'wakw).

Barnacles to Butterflies will be on display at the gallery from September 22nd - October 13th, 2012. We welcome you to join us at our opening reception on Saturday, September 22nd from 3-5pm.

Teaser #3...Medium: Painting on Canvas

Check out this week's teaser - A Tribute to Ojibway Beadwork I by Sharifah Marsden.

Here's a recap if you missed the earlier postings:
Teaser #2
Teaser #1

Medium: Painting on Canvas is a group exhibition featuring new works by various artists. All the pieces were created for the show as paintings on canvas are not often promoted within the Northwest Coast Native art market which makes this an exciting opportunity for artists to explore and showcase their work in this medium. We invite you to attend the opening on the evening of June 16^th from 5 to 8pm to see these exciting new works. An online preview will be available on June 11^th. Show ends July 15^th.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ojibwa artist Sharifah Marsden has created a variety of small heart-shaped pendants engraved with traditional Ojibwa imagery including floral and weaving patterns - just in time for Valentine's Day!

These charming sterling silver pendants measure 3/4" x 7/8" and are available for $120.00 CAD each.

Fall 2011 Newsletter

Our Fall 2011 Newsletter is now available!

Inside you'll find out about our upcoming show State of Flux, which features some extraordinary pieces with a story by artist Steve Smith. Also, in addition to having new pieces by Sharifah Marsden and Don Yeomans, we've decided to expand our serpentine collection to over thirty new pieces - come down and take a look!

Delicate New Jewellery by Sharifah Marsden

Elegant and eye-catching, Sharifah's work provides a femine perspective featuring floral, beadwork and basketry designs.

In 2009, Ojibwa artist Sharifah Marsden graduated from Vancouver's Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts Program under established Kwakwaka'wakw artist Dan Wallace. Since, then she has been involved in various projects including helping to paint Western Canada's largest mural along the outer wall of the Orwell Hotel and carving an exquisite sterling silver pendant for our Silver 25th Anniversary Show.

Sharifah has always explored her Ojibwa roots and has most recently taken her engraving talents further, creating a diverse selection of sterling silver bracelets and earrings. The pieces are elaborately and delicately carved featuring various floral, beadwork and basketry designs and range in price from $100.00 CAD - $600.00 CAD.

Orwell Hotel Mural in Vancouver

In Vancouver's downtown eastside, First Nations artists are currently completing the largest mural in Metro Vancouver. On the side of the Orwell Hotel, at Hastings and Jackson, artists are working on the 743-foot mural which represents our urban Aboriginal population and celebrates Vancouver icons. The mural is being created by several artists that we represent here at Lattimer Gallery, including Ojibway painter and jeweller Sharifah Marsden and painter Richard Shorty. The other artists creating this monumental piece are Jerry Whitehead, Haisla Collins, Don Howell and Nicola Campbell.

The neat thing about this project is that it has been completely funded through BC organizations. General Paint donated most of the materials, and the other costs associated with the project were covered by the BC Housing Association, the City of Vancouver's Great Beginnings Program, the Strathcona BIA, the Royal Bank, and Britannia Community Services. This is a wonderful addition to the neighbourhood and the city, and it is expected to be completed by early autumn.