Mystery Carver: Rick Goyette
Photo by Laurie Lindstrom
People walking the curving paths of Ferry Island may have spotted the occasional carving of an old man's face peering down at them from a cottonwood tree. These are the works of Rick Goyette who enjoys carving using the medium of cottonwood bark. Each face may take him a couple of hours to do. Sometimes people will walk by as he is carving but one must watch very closely to spot these interesting carvings. There are approximately twenty-seven faces and one owl. Rick doesn't limit his craft to trees, he also carves wall hangings. He collects the bark from fallen trees that have drifted into log jams along the Skeena River. These trees may be dead but their spirit lives on through Rick Goyette's carvings. So if you are interested in maybe taking home a souvenir from Terrace, you might consider one of Rick's River Bark Men. Rick's wall hangings can be seen on display at the Red Raven Gallery in the Skeena Mall.