The Carving on the Edge Festival is an annual gathering held in Tla-o-qui-aht Territory, Tofino BC, Canada, that celebrates traditional and contemporary carving arts.
This year’s theme, Totems & Tributaries, will explore carving as a visual language. Totem Poles stand tall, telling stories of the land and its peoples. Tributaries connect our coastal communities to those upstream, uniting us along ancient salmon migration routes.
The festival offers something for everyone – from lovers of arts & culture to carvers of all skill levels. We welcome you to join us!
September 6th-9th, 2018 Main Festival Weekend:
Carving workshops, demonstrations, cultural performances, artist talks, & canoe tours.
September 7th-11th, 2018: Edge Art Show, Featured Exhibits, & the Open Carving Area
September 6th, 2018: Artist Forum
Evening Programs
Public galas and presentations.
Workshops
Enjoy hands on learning.
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Upcoming Events
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Family Carving at the Tofino Market – Saturday, September 1st, 2018
Come and visit us at the Tofino Saturday Market to learn more about our local tradition of the carving arts. Children and their families will be introduced to traditional tools, techniques, and meet carving artists as they demonstrate their skills. Accomplished visiting carvers will be working on their projects and curious visitors of all ages will be given guidance for using basic hand tools and a chance to explore play in carving.
Find out more »2018 Carving on the Edge Festival
The Carving on the Edge Festival celebrates traditional and contemporary carving arts with something for everyone from lovers of arts & culture to carvers of all skill levels. Full event details and schedule will be finalized in August, 2018. Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on evening talks, workshops and all events.
Find out more »Artist Forum – Thursday, September 6th, 2018
A pre-festival event open to all local and visiting artists. Every year we offer a different roster of mini-workshop sessions aimed at providing professional development opportunities and creating a space for sharing and discussion amongst fellow artists. This is also an opportunity for artists to meet festival staff and learn about all the different ways of participating in the festival throughout the weekend. Past highlights have included: Grant Writing workshops, Fine Art Gallery presentations, Social Media marketing for artists, and…
Find out more »Open Carving Area – September 7th-9th, 2018
The Open Carving Area is a space within the festival venue for carvers to set up and work on projects throughout the week. All carvers are welcome to come enjoy this shared workspace, work on existing projects or begin new ones, and carve alongside each other. This is a great opportunity to share tips and techniques and gather inspiration from fellow west coast carvers of all skill levels. Open daily September 7th-9th, 10am-5pm.
Find out more »Edge Art Show – September 7th-11th, 2018
Come and experience the power of west coast carving at the Edge Art Show, an annual exhibit that launches with the Carving on the Edge Festival. Opening Night: Thursday, September 6th @ 7pm Edge Art Show hours Friday, September 7th - 10am-5pm September 8th & 9th - 10am-7pm September 10th & 11th - 10am-5pm If you are interested in submitting carved pieces to the Edge Art Show, fill out your artist entry form here. Our coastal rainforests have been home to a rich history…
Find out more »Evening Presentations Friday, September 7th, 2018
Our 2018 evening presentations will explore the festival theme, Totems & Tributaries, through featured artist talks, presentations, & cultural performances. Join us for these ‘by donation’ events to learn more about west coast carving culture. To stay updated as we release more details for our 2018 events, sign up for our Newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
Find out more »Evening Presentations – Saturday, September 8th, 2018
Our 2018 evening presentations will explore the festival theme, Totems & Tributaries, through featured artist talks, presentations, & cultural performances. Join us for these 'by donation' events to learn more about west coast carving culture. To stay updated as we release more details for our 2018 events, sign up for our Newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
Find out more »Evening Presentations – Sunday, September 9th, 2018
Our 2018 evening presentations will explore the festival theme, Totems & Tributaries, through featured artist talks, presentations, & cultural performances. Join us for these 'by donation' events to learn more about west coast carving culture. To stay updated as we release more details for our 2018 events, sign up for our Newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
Find out more »Festival Location
368 Main Street, Tofino, BC
Festival Photos
We love to take pictures during the festival. Enjoy a taste of our previous events by having a look at photo galleries from past events.
Our Sponsors
We're grateful for the generous support of our festival sponsors.
