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Born and raised in Hydaburg, Joe has been carving since the day he was walking home from work, and saw master-carver Warren Peele working on a totem pole.  Warren called out to him and said, “Hey, you – want to carve on this pole?”  That was nineteen years ago, and Joe’s been carving ever since.

Joe works primarily with red and yellow cedar and carves a variety of different forms, creating objects of traditional, aesthetic, and practical value.  From the very large to the very small, Joe has carved totem poles and bentwood boxes, dance sticks and walking canes, masks and sign posts.

“Getting the wood is the hard part,” he says, but he also points out that learning to draw is a big piece.  In fact, “learn to draw” is a bit of a mantra for him – one he picked up from his teacher Warren, and that he adheres to faithfully.  Design is key.  He says, “It’s funny when you pick up a piece of wood with nothing on it – once you can design good, you can carve good pretty quick.”

As far as design goes in Joe’s pieces, it is often a family affair.  Joe notes that his sons, while they don’t carve, all like to draw Haida designs and do it well.  Many of his pieces actually exhibit, in whole or in part, their designs.

Passing the art-form to future generations is something Frisby believes in.  He tries to be active in Hydaburg’s annual Culture Camp, and if he cannot make it for some reason, he at least donates wood so that the kids have something to carve on.  Two years ago during the camp he carved the totem pole that now stands outside of Hydaburg’s Head Start building.  He recalls working on that pole with the kids, and his young granddaughter was not yet old enough to paint the colorful designs and so he had her paint on the sealant.  Before he knew it, she had painted both her own arms black.  He chuckles, “still, the damage they can do to the pole isn’t as important as how good it is for them to be learning it.”

Keeping with this spirit, Joe has also taught classes on making bentwood boxes and box drums to students as young as elementary-age.  He also works in the carving shed, where the Historic Totem Replication project and other endeavors are being worked on by local Hydaburg carvers.  There, learning and the exchange of knowledge is the dominant theme.

The learning process is one that Joe respects.  When speaking about his art form, he emphasizes the importance of practice for refining his skill.  A bit of a perfectionist, he talks about how much he has learned with every piece he’s completed, and is quick to point out what he will do differently on his next piece.  He is an advocate of the kind of practical learning that comes from trying things out and delving in.  Joe says, “you look and learn…I sure learned a lot from that first pole.”

And Joe isn’t satisfied with just the skills he has already mastered.  Always interested in trying new carving projects, Joe is looking next to carving on silver and making the fine jewelry Haida are known for.  Always learning, always sharing what he learns, Joe Frisby stays true the spirit and tradition of Haida art.

Interview and text by Sealaska intern Rachel Bryan-Auker