Master carver, educator, and cultural leader Stan Bevan (Satsan) is being honoured with the Order of British Columbia, the province’s highest honour.
Bevan, who is Tahltan-Tlingit and Tsimshian, has spent over four decades shaping and sharing the rich traditions of Northwest Coast Indigenous art. In 2006, he co-founded the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art at Coast Mountain College with fellow artists Dempsey Bob and Ken McNeil.
Over the next 16 years, Bevan mentored more than 150 students, helping to create a thriving space where Indigenous artists could learn traditional formline design and express their cultural identities. His efforts helped secure key funding from the Cargill Foundation and led to more than 70 alumni works being displayed throughout the college.
Internationally respected, Bevan’s carvings — including over 100 monumental sculptures — can be found across the globe. In 2023, he collaborated with Māori artist Lyonel Grant and Dempsey Bob to raise a totem pole for Emily Carr University.
Humble and community-focused, Bevan often credits his students as the true legacy of his work.
He will be officially invested into the Order at a ceremony on September 16, at Government House in Victoria.
Bevan is one of 15 recipients of this year’s award, which recognizes extraordinary contributions in fields ranging from the arts to climate science, medicine, diplomacy, and Indigenous governance.
To see the full list of 2025 recipients, visit:
👉 Order of B.C. recipients
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