Indigenous Coastal Climate Coalition: Our Collaboration with Indigenous artist Shawna Kiesman
Climate change affects us all. When Good Digital connected with the Indigenous Coastal Climate Coalition (ICCC), a group united in addressing what's happening with climate change, we instantly wanted to be involved. Throughout this project, we had the great pleasure of working with artist Shawna Kiesman on the ICCC logo.
The Valuable Work of the ICCC
The Indigenous Climate Change Coalition (ICCC) came together in 2019 when several coastal First Nations in BC met at a climate adaptation workshop. They formed the ICCC to work on climate-related issues together. This collaborative approach enhances their influence on government policies, facilitates access to funding, and provides mentorship to member Nations with limited information and capacity.
Today, the ICCC is active in climate-related work, leveraging the strengths of the involved Nations.
Shawna Kiesman
We have worked with Shawna on another logo project in the past. We love her work and are very excited to partner with her again.
Shawna is a well-known Indigenous artist. Her Gitga’at and Nisga’a cultures drive her creativity and design work. Shawna pulls inspiration from the environment, from the ocean and sky to the animals that inhabit the earth. From this muse, she creates designs that resonate on a very elemental level.
After finishing diplomas in Make-up Artistry and Fashion Merchandising at Blanche MacDonald in 2014, Shawna attended the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art. There, she learned to carve and develop her design skills. Shawna earned a Diploma in First Nations Fine Art and the President’s Award at Northwest Community College.
Later, she went to Emily Carr University of Art & Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2019. She focused on painting and drawing, exploring different art forms. During her time at Emily Carr, Shawna received awards like the BC Arts Council Scholarship and the Audain Entrance Foundation Scholarship.
Working with Shawna to Develop the ICCC Logo
Before Shawna joined this project, Good Creative worked with ICCC to gather background information to inform the creative brief. Based on our research, the logo had to:
- Represent community values and multiple Nations working together
- Instill a sense of purpose
- Communicate adaptation to climate change
- Use colours and images represented in nature
- Create impact and a sense of urgency
We guided the process with certain constraints but gave Shawna freedom to work through her artistic process, giving her take on the artwork, colour, and representation of her design.
What is the Symbolism of the Frog?
The Frog travels between land and water and the natural and supernatural worlds; it has the symbol of a communicator—additionally aFrog’s croak and tongue are said to cleanse evil spirits. Because of its transcendent ability, the Frog is often connected with the magical powers held by shamans.
Check Out Our Work
We paired Shawna’s art with typography and created cohesive brand guidelines so the ICCC can use this logo in their efforts to withstand and adapt to climate change. We love the final ICCC logo; it’s powerful, beautiful, and hopeful.
At Good Creative, we love partnering with organizations that put some goodness into the world. Check out some of our awesome projects and clients in our portfolio.