Isaac Tait

Isaac Tait was one of the prominent younger Northwest Coast artists. For many years, he worked under the guidance of his father, Norman Tait, in the carving of totem poles and other major projects. As a result of this early training, Isaac Tait quickly became a seasoned carver with a high degree of skill and imagination.

Isaac started carving in the early 1980's and in 1986, along with his father uncle Robert, Isaac carved a totem pole for the Native Education College in Vancouver, B.C. One year later, he helped carve a pole to be placed in Vancouver's Stanley Park. In 1989, Isaac was chosen to greet the Maori people at the Field Museum in Chicago and perform at their exhibit. In 1994, he designed and painted a corporate logo for Toronto's Generation 2000.

In 1995 Tait and his then wife presented their Fashion Collection, sponsored by a New York Fashion House, at the Douglas Reynolds Gallery. Besides two-dimensional design and carving in wood, Tait created incredible jewelry by meticulously carving gemstones as if they were wood.

Tait moved back to Vancouver after spending three years in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he focused exclusively on creating jewelry. Before his death, Tait was focusing on carving wood and apprenticing up-and-coming Nisga’a artists.