A R T I S T F E AT U R E KEALY DONALDSON
COLE SPECK Kwakwaka'wakw | Alert Bay
S P E C K- TAC U L A R TA L E N T It took me a little while to connect with Cole
at our cultural art. We brought out art photos of a Kwakwa-
Speck, but eventually we found a hole in the schedule that
ka'wakw rattle; we practiced drawing the rattle over and over
allowed both of us some time to talk about his creative back-
again until we could draw it without looking at the picture,”
ground, his hometown and what’s changed over the past few
says Speck. "At the time, my mom worked above the carving
years. It was a great chat, especially learning about some of
shed in Alert Bay. I was allowed to hang out a bit in the shed.
his favourite and most important memories.
I remember being allowed to use Doug Cramner’s tools and banged them up so Doug took them away." Speck laughs as
Speck was born in 1991 and raised in Alert Bay, Cormorant
he shares this memory.
Island on Namgis First Nation Territory, off the northeast side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In his thirties now, he
“I didn’t finish school and took on the apprenticeship to fol-
reflects on his youth in the Bay, and recalls some of his first
low my heart and passion as an Artist. I was never even able
interests in cultural art.
to get into an Art Class in High School”, he recalls, "because they didn’t have any room for my registration and it was all
“I remember being at school with my friend, Aubrey, and
I was interested in. I felt left behind by the system—I just fo-
instead of going out to play, we went to the library to look
cused on my own art through my cultural ties.”
1 4 | C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E | I s s u e 3 6
W W W. C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E . C A
