Folk Arts - Master Artist - Jay Haavik

Jay Haavik. Photo by Fritz Dent.

Jay Haavik learned to carve in the Northwest Coastal Native American style from master artists Bill Holm, Duane Pasco, and Doug Granum. In the Tlingit community, art is integral to traditions, ceremonies, and the history of the people. It is also, however, on the brink of extinction.

As a recipient of a 1993 Apprenticeship grant, Haavik taught Dennis Katzeek to carve masks and containers in the Tlingit style. As a child, Dennis Katzeek, a Chilkat Tlingit artist, watched his grandfather carve cedar and craft silver. His entire family practiced many forms of Tlingit art, such as weaving, carving, and beading. Katzeek hopes to preserve his tradition, through his apprenticeship with Haavik, and also through his goal of teaching others in Seattle’s Native American community.