Artwork copyright Duane Pasco. Photo courtesy of the University of Washington, by Kathleen Ballard.

Shrimp, 1983

Duane Pasco
(American, born 1932)

Location: University of Washington - Friday Harbor, Friday Harbor

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Shrimp is a carved and painted, redcedar wood wall sculpture by artist Duane Pasco. It is made in the style of traditional Native American Northwest Coast Salish designs but Pasco is a non-Native artist.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with University of Washington.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Duane Pasco is a non-Native wood carver and sculptor. His artworks are very strongly influenced by the Indigenous artistic traditions of the Northwest Coast. He has made the study of these Northwest Coast Indigenous artistic traditions his life’s work. Many credit him as an outstanding craftsperson and a generous teacher, who nurtured emerging Native carvers. Others are critical that he benefitted financially from opportunities that could have gone to Native artists, using traditions that are not his own.

Born in Seattle, Pasco's family moved to Alaska early in his childhood. In the early 1970s, he served as an art instructor in Northern British Columbia, Canada, before returning to the Seattle area. Pasco is based in Poulsbo, on the Kitsap Peninsula, southern Puget Sound, Western Washington.