The Deming community will celebrate the unveiling of a mural painted for the Deming Library building by celebrated Coast Salish artist Sienum Jason LaClair at a 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 public event at the library, 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy. The mural was funded by The Norcliffe Foundation, Whatcom Educational Credit Union, Whatcom Community Foundation’s Project Neighborly and the Friends of the Deming Library, who own the library building.
LaClair’s two-panel mural depicts The Salmon Woman and a Spindle Whorl both of which are significant to the Coast Salish people and reflect the rich traditions of the Nooksack people who have called this place home since time immemorial. LaClair painted the mural in the Deming Library over a week in early June. Library patrons were able to watch the work in progress and talk with him about his process. Each of the 6-foot-by-4 foot panels will be displayed on the west interior wall of the library.
The Sept. 13 celebration will include brief speeches from LaClair and Nooksack Tribal Chairwoman EamYatil RoseMary LaClair as well as songs from the Nooksack Royalty. Nooksack storyteller Skwetslatse’elhot Si’li’xw’tunawt Angela Letoi will share the Salmon Woman tale. Afterward, guests will enjoy a potluck meal. Participants may bring a dish to share, but it is not required.
“Jason LaClair’s mural not only demonstrates the unparalleled beauty of Coastal Salish artistic styles but is intended to underscore the Deming Library’s desire to support its relationship with our closest neighbors, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, and the importance of diverse cultural views,” says Friends of the Deming Library board member Leaf Schumann.
LaClair’s Native Arts 360 webpage says he “… draws from his Lummi and Nooksack heritage to create art that resonates deeply with Indigenous traditions and modern aesthetics. … LaClair has journeyed from creating small prints sold door-to-door to designing impactful public murals in Bellingham, Ferndale and San Juan Island. Committed to community engagement, he aspires to pave the way for future Indigenous artists, emphasizing the transformative power of art to connect communities and preserve cultural heritage. (He) has spent nearly three decades developing his distinctive Coast Salish artistic style, transforming from a self-taught artist to becoming one of the region’s most sought-after muralists and cultural educators.”
WCLS Nooksack Cultural Liaison Marty Jimmy, who works at the Deming Library, grew up with LaClair and watched his art and talent develop. “After he gave up walking the hard road he was on, his art really took shape and he found the lifestyle that he had wanted since we were children,” Jimmy says. “Getting to be a part of this mural was such an amazing experience. I am so grateful to have been here for it, working alongside one of my best friends is something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Deming Library Manager Katrina Carabba adds: “Art in public spaces enriches the community in multiple ways by fostering connection, promoting dialogue and elevating local artists.” A few years ago, Carabba, Joshua Olsen, Deming Library’s previous Nooksack cultural liaison, and Angelina Kuchar, the library’s youth services assistant, began dreaming and planning for a Coast Salish mural for the library building.
“I became aware of Jason LaClair’s work in various public spaces throughout Whatcom County and it seemed like a perfect fit for the Deming Library,” Carabba says. “Working closely with Deming Library’s Nooksack Cultural Liaison Marty Jimmy, the Friends of the Deming Library and Jason, we conceived of an idea for the mural and raised the money to make it happen. I hope Deming Library visitors will enjoy this bold, beautiful mural that represents the stories and traditions of the Nooksack and other Coast Salish Peoples.”
The Deming Library is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.