Spring 2025
April 14-18

In this five-day course, you will work with Port Gamble S’Klallam master carver Brian Perry to learn about this tradition and form while completing your own mask with hand-carving tools.

From Brian: “The Nuu-Chah-Nulth people inhabit the west coast of Canada and Vancouver Island and even Washington. The Makah tribe is closely related to the Nuu-Chah-Nulth. I lived in Neah Bay for 7 years early in my life. I remember seeing the dance masks and head pieces used in ceremony. Greg Colfax is a close family friend and is a master carver. His mask carvings are exceptional and capture an intensity that makes his work standout. My hope is to help each student capture some emotion and drama in their mask carving. We should be able to get to designing a paint scheme.”

In this five-day course, you will complete your very own mask. Under the guidance of Port Gamble S’Klallam carver Brian Perry, you will use traditional tools, including adzes and assorted crooked knives to transform a block of alder into a full-size mask.  

Starting with a half round of alder, you will first learn how to prepare your stock by hand: flattening the bottom of their piece, establishing a center line, and truing up the block for accurate layout. Once the block is shaped, you will learn the basics of blocking out the general shape of the piece.  

On days two and three of the course, you are primarily sculpting and shaping the features that make up a Nuu-Chah-Nulth mask. Day four is spent hollowing and fine-tuning facial features. We will strive to create a beautiful knife finish where no sanding is necessary. Day five will either be spent on detailing, or, for those feeling ambitious, blocking out another piece to finish on your own.  

Over the course of the week, you will also go over sharpening and best practices for tool use of adzes, knives, and gouges.

Tools

No tools required. PTSW will provide carving tools for this course including bent and straight knives and elbow adzes. We recommend that you bring any of your own carving tools with you.

Recommended tools:

• Straight knife 

• Elbow adze 

• Hollowing knife

• Curved knife with a planing type of blade

• Gouges

Prerequisites

Open to All

Course Information and Registration

Class runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday in Building 315 at Fort Worden. Map
Please read our What to Expect page for general information about the school.
Please also read our Registration Policy.
Sign up for the waitlist if the course is full.

Class size: 12
Cost: $940
Materials Charge: $75