Current Exhibition

June 13 - September 15, 2025

NICHOLS, NORTH, & ATRIUM GALLERIES

Shapeshifters

Showcasing the extraordinary diversity of contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous Art.

"Raven always outwits the moment. He transforms to meet life’s challenges and shapeshifts to create new solutions for today’s dilemmas."

-- Lee Brooks, Guest Curator

The title Shapeshifters embodies the Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples’ connection and respect for the cleverness of the Raven. It also reflects their diverse cultures’ ability to persevere and adapt to change for millennia.

Selections from SJIMA’s First Nation Artists Collection, along with work by some of the Northwest’s most renowned Indigenous artists, including Christian White, Rande Cook, Susan Point, Tim Paul, Gordon Dick, Dan Friday and many more will be on view throughout the galleries.

EXPLORE SHAPESHIFTERS

interviews

Shapeshifter ARTIST INTERVIEWS

Discover the voices behind the art.
In these special interviews, SJIMA Trustee and Docent Coordinator Marney Reynolds and SJIMA Assistant Director Wendy Smith speak with Northwest Coast Indigenous artists Christian White, Rande Cook, Dan Friday, and Gordon Dick. Hear each artist share their inspirations, cultural traditions, and personal journeys in their own words. Watch below to explore the stories and ideas that shape their extraordinary work.

Christian White

Gordon Dick

Dan Friday

Rande Cook

News & Artist Profiles

Christian White: Master Haida Artist Featured at SJIMA’s Shapeshifters Exhibition

Christian White's artistic practice is characterized by extraordinary versatility. He is acclaimed for his skill in carving argillite, a rare black slate exclusively accessible to Haida artists.

Interior view of the Nichols Gallery in the Shapeshifters exhibition, featuring 'Sun' by Tom Hunt in the foreground—a vibrant, traditional West Coast Indigenous mask with radiating red, yellow, green, and black painted beams. In the background, additional ceremonial masks and woven items are displayed on red gallery walls labeled 'West Coast.

Experience Shapeshifters at SJIMA: Indigenous Art Across Borders

In celebration of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples Month, the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) proudly presents Shapeshifters, a major summer exhibition now on view through September 15, 2025.

Shapeshifters: Northwest Coast Indigenous Art Featured in SJIMA’s Summer Exhibition

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) proudly presents Shapeshifters, a landmark summer exhibition showcasing the extraordinary diversity and resilience of contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous art.

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Museum visitor in black with white sleeves enjoying artwork on the wall

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