Tom Patterson

Tom Patterson was born on Vancouver Island in Victoria on June 13, 1962. He is of the Kyuquot of the Kyuquot/ Checleseht (Ka:'yu:'k't'h/ Che:k:tless7et'h') Nation of Nuuchahnulth peoples.

Tom has become an extremely accomplished artist over the years, and early on in his career in 1979 he helped work on the Big House for the Field Musuem in Chicago. Later, in 1988-89, he helped Art Thompson and Tim Paul on a 40 foot replica Nuuchahnulth totem pole for the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Tom is also a wonderful teacher, teaching students in his community of Kyuquot in 1981 and later in California in 1990 at the Idylwild School of Music and the Arts. In 2009 he was a resident artist at the Xa:ytem village on the site of a historic, 9000 year old, Coast Salish Village, teaching yuoung students about carving and the artwork of the Northwest Coast. 

Although Tom is well-versed in the Nuuchahnulth style, he also practices in other styles such as Tsimshian, Tlingit and Kwakwaka'wakw.