Gerald's Journey
The Pentlatch Gallery, nestled in Parksville on the scenic Vancouver Island in BC, Canada, welcomed visitors for the first time in the spring of 2024. This event marked the realization of a long-held dream for Gerald A. Fuller from the Snuneymuxw Nation (Coast Salish), a dream deferred by prior commitments. Gerald, an outdoor indigenous still life photographer who focuses on totem pole crests, had considerable experience with galleries and artisan markets.
However, he was often dissatisfied with the commissions and fees charged by non-Indigenous gallery proprietors. In 2019, Gerald was blessed to have the chance to purchase a quarter-acre of commercial property with a residential house and outbuilding, edging closer to his vision. By the spring of 2024, he had independently completed all the necessary preparations to open the Pentlatch Gallery to the public.
Gerald's vision for the gallery was to showcase a variety of Indigenous art forms and artists from different areas in Canada, the three themes were Contemporary, Traditional and Vintage with a special focus on Pacific Northwest Indigenous artists.
The Pentlatch Gallery is dedicated to promoting and honoring the distinctive artistic contributions and culture of the Indigenous communities from the coast of British Columbia.
Gallery visitors can anticipate a wide array of artworks, including wood carvings, paintings, sculptures, textiles, jewelry, and traditional crafts, among others. These works mirror the cultural importance, narratives, and principles of Indigenous peoples of Canada.
Note: The name of the Pentlatch Gallery was chosen by Gerald to honor the Pentlatch People. They endured severe losses from disease and war, which decimated their population from Parksville to Comox on Vancouver Island BC, dwindling their 90 villages to only a handful of families in Comox by the 1930s.
