Dempsey Bob

The Story of Fog Woman and Raven in the Vancouver International Airport

Human/bear mask by Dempsey Bob in the Vancouver International Airport

Dempsey Bob (born 1948) is a Northwest Coast carver from British Columbia, Canada, who is of Tahltan and Tlingit First Nations descent. He was born in the Tahltan village of Telegraph Creek on the Stikine River in northwestern B.C., and is of the Wolf clan.

He began carving in 1969, studying with the Haida carver Freda Diesing in Prince Rupert, B.C. In 1972-1974 he studied at the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art ('Ksan) at Hazelton, B.C., in Gitksan territory.

He carves bowls, masks, and totem poles, mostly in the Tlingit style.

His apprentices have included the Tahltan carver Dale Campbell and Tlingit carver Keith Wolfe Smarch.

References

• Jensen, Doreen; Sargent, Polly (1987), Robes of Power: Totem Poles on Cloth, Vancouver, B.C.: University of British Columbia Press .
• Macnair, Peter L.; Hoover, Alan L.; Neary, Kevin (1984), The Legacy: Tradition and Innovation in Northwest Coast Indian Art, Vancouver, B.C.: Douglas & McIntyre .
• Stewart, Hilary (1993), Looking at Totem Poles, Seattle: University of Washington Press, ISBN 0-295-97259-9 .
• Thom, Ian M. (2009), "Dempsey Bob", Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast, Vancouver, B.C.: Douglas & McIntyre, pp. 16–19 .