NWCA S131 Northwest Coast Studio Safety

1 credit (1+0)
Introduces students to the proper use and care of common hand and power tools used in Northwest Coast Arts studios. Students will develop the knowledge to select and safely operate the appropriate tool for various conditions, and maintain equipment in good working order. Provides an overview of common causes of injury and steps to ensure a safe working environment in both personal and community studio spaces. Pass/Fail grading.

NWCA S135 Northwest Coast Tool Making

3 credits (2+2)
Students will make a set of traditional Northwest Coast carving tools by grinding, shaping, tempering, polishing, sharpening, and fitting to wooden handles: a straight knife, curved knife and adze.

NWCA S140 Fiber Arts-Spinning

1 credits (.5+1)
Study and practice of either hand or machine spinning using traditional fibers and methods with a special emphasis on yarn design and developing a skill for producing yarns of consistent quality. Repeatable for credit.

NWCA S141 Natural Dye

1 credit (.5+1)
Studies history, philosophy, and procedures for dyeing with plants and other naturally found dyestuffs. Students learn how to use mordants, collect dye materials, extract the dye, dye wool and other fibers, and keep accurate records of their experiments. Both native and exotic dyestuffs are included. Repeatable for credit.

NWCA S150 Harvest and Preparation of Basket Materials

1 credit (.5+1)
Methods of collecting, harvesting and preparing materials for basket making. Repeatable for credit.

NWCA S180 Northwest Coast Art: Selected Topics

1-3 credits (variable)
Materials and techniques used in Northwest Coast art works. The subtitle of each course gives the specific art form covered. Course content and lab requirements vary.

NWCA S201 *Northwest Coast Native Art History & Culture

3 credits (3+0)
GER. A survey of the visual arts of Northwest Coast original peoples, which includes formline design, basketry, woolen weaving, and carving to put designs on a wide variety of media. Images, methods, and materials will be discussed within cultural and historical contexts. The histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast will be explored through their visual arts.

NWCA S220 *Beginning Northwest Coast Indigenous Design I

3 credits (2+2)
GER. Study of the basic elements of traditional Northwest Coast Indigenous design. Includes the use of ovoids, u-shapes, and form lines to develop traditional as well as contemporary designs. Methods for transferring designs to other mediums, such as wood or cloth. May be stacked with NWCA S320 and NWCA S420.

NWCA S230 *Beginning Northwest Coast Carving I

3 credits (2+2)
GER. An introduction to traditional Northwest Coast carving in wood. Possible projects may include carving spoons, halibut hooks, relief panels, bentwood bowls or boxes. May be stacked with NWCA S330 and NWCA S430.

NWCA S237 Beginning Northwest Coast Metals & Jewelry I

3 credits (2+2)
An introduction to Northwest Coast metal and jewelry work, with a focus on design transfer, engraving, and basic shaping of metals for jewelry. Students will be given guidance on building their collection of tools and will work on flat projects in copper or other metals. Students are expected to create two small individual projects while potentially working collaboratively on larger projects.

NWCA S240 *Beginning Northwest Coast Woolen Weaving I

3 credits (2+2)
GER. An introduction to traditional twining techniques that are used in ceremonial garments along the Northwest Coast will be studied through creation of regalia. May be stacked with NWCA S340 and NWCA S440.

NWCA S250 *Beginning Northwest Coast Basketry I

3 credits (2+2)
GER. An introduction to Northwest Coast basket weaving practiced by Indigenous peoples of Southeast Alaska. Projects will include twined or plaited weaving in spruce roots or cedar bark to produce a basket or plaited hat, with particular attention to traditional standards of design. May be stacked with NWCA S350 and NWCA S450.

NWCA S260 *Beginning Regalia Making I

3 credits (2+2)
GER. An introduction to Northwest Coast regalia making, including cutting and sewing fabrics, designing patterns and beading them, attaching design to various fabrics, and working with fur and hides. Includes the analysis and practice of techniques used in fabric and leather work: locating patterns and designs, transferring patterns and designs, and assembling and sewing by hand and with machine. Students will also learn to analyze materials and techniques used to create regalia, with the intention of producing high quality items that will last through generations. Students will be expected to create pieces that are for ceremonial or formal use in the styles and patterns of Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples.
Prerequisite: NWCA S220 or instructor permission.

NWCA S270 *Indigenous Performing Arts

3 credits (3+0)
GER. Offers an exploration into Indigenous performing arts, including song, dance, storytelling, integration of visual arts into performance, poetry, memoir, fiction, and film studies. While exploring content, students will explore the lenses of post-colonial studies in the context of performing arts.

NWCA S280 Beginning Northwest Coast Art: Selected Topics

1-3 credits (variable)
Materials and techniques used in Northwest Coast art works. The subtitle of each course gives the specific art form covered. Lab requirements vary.

NWCA S303 Decolonizing Museums and Artistic Sovereignty in Museums

3 credits (3+0)
Examines the changing relationship between Indigenous peoples and organizations, and public and private museums in the United States and Canada, which is an intersection of Tribal sovereignty, museum practices, and movements to decolonize the exhibition, collection care, storage, access, and display of Native American cultural items. Through research, discussions, and projects, students will learn about curation repatriation, and museum access, and will have opportunities to talk about methods of Indigenizing museum spaces through the addition of Indigenous stories, perspectives, languages, and voices in collection spaces.

NWCA S320 Intermediate Northwest Coast Indigenous Design I

3 credits (2+2)
Continued study of traditional Northwest Coast design principles and elements. Includes ongoing instruction on uses of the shapes in formline design, with increased focus on methods of filling a given space with design. May be stacked with NWCA S220 and NWCA S420.
Prerequisite: NWCA S220.

NWCA S330 Intermediate Northwest Coast Carving I

3 credits (2+2)
Continued study of traditional Northwest Coast carving in wood. Emphasis on more complex relief or three-dimensional carving using Northwest Coast designs. May be stacked with NWCA S230 and NWCA 430.
Prerequisite: NWCA S230.

NWCA S340 Intermediate Northwest Coast Woolen Weaving I

3 credits (2+2)
Continued study of traditional twining techniques from the Northwest Coast Native cultures. Discussion of the history of twined regalia, dyeing and spinning techniques, as well as traditional designs. May be stacked with NWCA S240 and NWCA S440.
Prerequisite: NWCA S240.

NWCA S350 Intermediate Northwest Coast Basketry I

3 credits (2+2)
Continued study of basket weaving, with emphasis on false embroidery, more complex weaving techniques and mastery of endings. May be stacked with NWCA S250 and NWCA S450.
Prerequisite: NWCA S250.

NWCA S355 Northwest Coast Basket Design

1 credit (0.5+1)
A study of designs and materials used in Northwest Coast baskets, and an overview of the techniques used to create particular designs. Will include an overview of basket uses and how that affects design, meanings associated with particular patterns, and how the development and use of patterns have changed over time.

NWCA S380 Intermediate Northwest Coast Art: Selected Topics

1-3 credits (variable)
Materials and techniques used in Northwest Coast art works. The subtitle of each course gives the specific art form covered. Lab requirements vary.
Prerequisite: Previous experience in area of study.

NWCA S395 Northwest Coast Art Theory and Practice

3 credits (3+0)
The challenges and contexts in which NW Coast artists, scholars, and curators may find themselves are examined. Students will engage in critical discourse to prepare for engagement with scholarship, markets, and audiences as a professional artist informed by decolonial perspectives rooted in Indigenous intellectual authority. Topics include historical and current negotiations with audience expectations, markets, modes of reception; issues of exhibition, display and performance; practical issues of materiality, production, and presentation; legal concerns that impact and influence Northwest Coast Art; and a variety of Indigenous protocols and worldviews.

NWCA S420 Advanced Northwest Coast Indigenous Design I

3 credits (2+2)
Advanced study of Northwest Coast designs with an emphasis on both traditional and contemporary applications. May be repeated for credit. May be stacked with NWCA S220 and NWCA S320.
Prerequisite: NWCA S320.

NWCA S430 Advanced Northwest Coast Carving I

3 credits (2+2)
Advanced study of Northwest Coast carving in wood, with increased emphasis on both contemporary and traditional designs. May be repeated for credit. May be stacked with NWCA S230 and NWCA S330.
Prerequisite: NWCA S330.

NWCA S440 Advanced Northwest Coast Woolen Weaving I

3 credits (2+2)
Advanced study of traditional twined woolen weaving, with increased emphasis on complex designs. May be repeated for credit. May be stacked with NWCA S240 and NWCA S340.
Prerequisite: NWCA S340.

NWCA S450 Advanced Northwest Coast Basketry I

3 credits (2+2)
Advanced study of basket weaving, with an emphasis on design. May be repeated for credit. May be stacked with NWCA S250 and NWCA S350.
Prerequisite: NWCA S350.

NWCA S480 Advanced Northwest Coast Art: Selected Topics

1-3 credits (variable)
Materials and techniques used in Northwest Coast Indigenous art works. The subtitle of each course gives the specific art form covered. Lab requirements vary.
Prerequisite: Proficiency in area of study.