Francis Horne Sr.

Coast Salish Nation

Francis Horne was born October 18, 1952, in Mount Vernon, WA, and raised in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada. He began carving in 1973 and is largely self-taught. He does reveal that Simon Charlie, a prominent Chief and accomplished artist, greatly influenced his pursuit of creating large-scale art. Subsequently, Francis began to explore and educate himself on the style of the northern nations. This interest led him to pursue large-scale public art reflecting the traditional northern images in their traditional format. Occasionally, Francis focuses on depicting images in keeping with his Coast Salish heritage.

Francis has produced numerous major totem poles for public, corporate, and private international commissions. His work is featured in several locations across British Columbia, including the Vancouver Art Gallery, Stanley Park, Chilliwack General Hospital, and Vancouver Native Housing. The city of Duncan, known as the “City of Totem Poles,” has ten of his poles, including a gateway entrance. International commissions include the Canadian Embassy in Bogota, Columbia, Singapore, Africa, England, Germany, Sweden, and the USA. His smaller scale works and masks are limited in number, as his reputation for large-scale works keeps him occupied.

Whether a mask or a totem pole, his elaborate detail and precise incisions reflect both his expertise and his dedication to maintaining a high standard of quality and collectibility of his artwork. He possesses a unique and thought-provoking style, which is represented in masks of distinction, traditional totem poles, and metalwork. He prefers to work in red or yellow cedar, and occasionally works with alder wood.

In 2007, Francis made the decision to share his passion by becoming an instructor at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), where he teaches Indigenous Carving certificate courses to young carvers. Twelve years later, on June 5th, 2019, the University of Fraser Valley awarded him with an honorary Doctorate of Letters (Litt. D.) for his contributions to the study and understanding of indigenous art on the Pacific Northwest Coast. This is the highest reward that one can receive in a number of fields, including the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

In addition to his work at UFV, Francis has spent time mentoring clients in recovery from corrections at Vision Quest Recovery Society, as well as advising and advocating for First Nations patients at Fraser Health Authority.