About Us

Story of the Festival

The biennial Carving on the Edge Festival celebrates the traditional and contemporary coastal carving arts and the rich cultural history of the region. The festival offers opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the coastal traditions of carving with the goals of encouraging the growth of the carving community and building much-needed cultural bridges.

For thousands of years, the monumental trees of the coastal temperate rainforests of Clayoquot Sound have inspired a rich and diverse carving culture. From the practical purposes of the dug-out canoe to the ceremonial roles of headdresses and record-keeping of great totem poles, carving is at the heart of this land and of the people of the land. Coastal carving has made unique contributions to fine art and archival collections around the world, but at the heart of the festival is the celebration of carving as living history.