The American Indian Studies department is excited to announce the hiring of Joe (wahalatsu?) Seymour Jr., a Coast Salish artist who will be bringing his talents of Native art to upcoming classes.
Mr. Seymour is from the Squaxin Island and Pueblo of Acoma tribes, and his art is heavily inspired by Coast Salish styles. He began his journey in the arts in 2003, carving a canoe paddle for the Canoe Journey to Tulalip. Since then, his art style has flourished, expanding with his experiences in glass, Salish wool weaving, photography, wood, rawhide drums, and prints.
The AIS faculty are thrilled to welcome a professor to teach Native art, as there has not been a professor dedicated to this subject for the last decade. Marvin Oliver, a founding member of the Department of American Indian Studies and renowned Coast Salish artist, retired at the end of the 2014 academic year, and his last class was taught in Winter 2017. Since then, the department has hosted several guest instructors to teach occasional special topics classes in art, but have not had a dedicated faculty member working in arts, something dearly missed by both students and the department.
Dr. Dian Million, a professor in the department, stated “Our department is very excited to welcome Joe Seymour, a celebrated Coast Salish and Pueblo artist. Joseph H. (wahalatsu?) Seymour, Jr., a member of the Squaxin Island Tribe and descended from the Pueblo of Acoma is well known across the Puget Sound and beyond. His work can be seen in the Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon, The Burke Museum, Seattle, Washington, Squaxin Museum, Learning and Resource Center in Shelton, Washington, and the Hilo Art Museum, in Hilo, Hawai’i. Joe will share with his students a mastery across many areas of practice such as painting, weaving, drum making, print and graphics, murals and installations. To appreciate the scope of his practice visit his website at joeseymourart.com. Joe will teach AIS 253 Wood Design T/Th 1:30-3:20pm this Autumn quarter. His first class will make a drum and carve a dance paddle.”
Mr. Seymour himself has shared a similar excitement over his appointment, stating, “Teaching for the AIS department and to follow in the footsteps of Marvin Oliver is a huge honor for me. I realize that these scholars deserve the best education that UW has to offer and I hope that I can offer them the opportunity to learn about Indigenous art in a meaningful way. In my class, I want to offer my students not just the ability to make Indigenous art, but to learn why we make art. I want to offer them a new way observe the world around them and see how it relates to Indigenous art.”
We are excited to welcome him to the Department of American Indian Studies as an assistant professor this Fall!