Folk Arts - Master Artist - Roger Fernandez

Roger Fernandez. Photo by Fritz Dent.

Roger Fernandez practices and teaches Puget Salish art and design. He has been a leader in the traditional art form for many years, bringing forward a style and design nearly lost, as other styles were popularized. In the late 1970’s popular forms were those native to British Columbia and the Alaskan coasts—created by the Haida, Kwakiutl and Tsimshian. The forms created by the lower Puget Sound Area tribes, like the Puyallup, Duwamish, and Suquamish, were all-but unseen.

Through study, Roger has developed an appreciation for the subtle and profound differences in artistic styles between many tribes. As a teacher, he has instilled this appreciation in his students with many teaching and culture-sharing opportunities. He has worked with many local tribal artists from the Skokomish, Tulalip, Klallam, and Suquamish tribes. This collaboration and research helped Roger to develop his own artistic style and educational curriculum.

In 2000 Roger was awarded a Folk Arts Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the preservation of traditional Salish arts and culture.