Point's striking and distinctive art-from jewelry in precious metals to prints, paintings, and monumental pieces in wood and glass-has won worldwide acclaim and a worldwide audience. An innovator with a strong personal style, she likes to express ancestral concepts and designs in media such as glass and bronze as well as the more traditional wood. "In creating my art," she says, "I feel a need to continually express my cultural background and beliefs yet, at the same time, my work continues to evolve with changes both within and outside of my community."
Michael Kew describes the traditional art, culture, and beliefs of the central Coast Salish, which of all the Northwest Coast cultures is among the least familiar to the general public. Because much of the art was closely associated with private religious expression, it was seldom displayed or sold to collectors. Peter Macnair contributes an engaging and enlightening biography that looks at the artistic evolution of Susan Point. Bill McLennan briefly examines the tradition of housepost carving among the Coast Salish and Susan Point's interpretations of these large woodcarvings.
