The male figure is dressed in a loincloth, and has a blanket wrapped diagonally across his shoulder. The female figure wears a contemporary long black dress. Adze is a traditional tool that isn’t common with most woodwork and is a way to express the traditional art.īoth figures are standing. The welcome figures are mixture of adze and hand finished chisel and knife work. Peterson also had a chance to design two story poles that will be in the casino atrium titled River Story and Sky World.īoth of Peterson’s welcome figures are in a sculpture format that distinguished the regional tribes of Western Washington and southern British Columbia. He also created a frog design on the cafe walls, and metal moon pieces in the 24-hour cafe.

Peterson’s commissions include two large welcome figures and a Thunderbird carving.

“I am happy to see the culture have some visibility because without culture and language we don’t have much to set ourselves apart as a people,” he said. It’s where a Puyallup Tribal village once stood. One of his most iconic pieces is a welcome figure he designed in 2010 at Tollefson Plaza in downtown Tacoma. His artwork has a huge presence in his ancestral lands. Peterson has been instrumental in the revitalization of Coast Salish artwork. “I really never dreamed this would be possible in my lifetime, to be honest,” he said. He has several commissions for the new casino. Peterson works with many mediums such as glass, digital media, metal and wood. He was raised in Tacoma, and has been a practicing professional artist since 1996. He received that name, which belonged to his great-grandfather, in 2005. Puyallup Tribal member Shaun Peterson’s native name is Qwalsius. This is the first in a series to showcase the new casino’s art installations. Most of the artists are working on numerous pieces. The Puyallup Tribal Council and Emerald Queen Casino management wanted patrons to experience the tribe’s rich heritage and pay tribute to its ancestors, so there was a call to artists through the Puyallup Tribe’s Historic Preservation Department.Ībout five tribal members were selected to adorn the casino with both traditional and contemporary Coast Salish artwork throughout. Inside the nearly 300,000-square-foot Emerald Queen Casino, which is set to open soon, you will have a chance to see and feel the Puyallup culture in a variety of ways, including traditional and contemporary designs on etched windows, wall murals, lighting fixtures and drink coasters. By Kate Manzanares, Puyallup Tribal member

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