Bobby Mercier · Winner Collectors Art Prize

Bobby Mercier Chinookan Carver / Digital Artist BeartracksNDN
Bobby Mercier is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in Oregon, where he has lived most of his life. With deep family roots in the community-both his mother and father are members of the tribe-Bobby has dedicated his life to preserving and revitalizing Chinookan culture and traditional art.

At 19, Bobby began working for his tribe and continues to serve as the Cultural Advisor at the Chachalu Tribal Museum and Cultural Center. Over the years, he has studied and practiced a wide range of traditional skills, including weaving, carving, and other cultural teachings. For more than 20 years, he has focused on mastering the traditional Chinookan art form, especially carving in the Columbia River style.

Bobby's carvings are featured at the Grand Ronde museum and throughout the tribal community. Two notable public pieces include works on display at the Portland Building (next to Portland City Hall) and the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. A dedicated mentor and teacher, Bobby shares his knowledge with youth, fellow community members, and his own children, helping to ensure the future of Chinookan carving lives on.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bobby expanded his artistic expression into digital design. He launched an Etsy store, BeartracksNDN, where he creates and sells custom clothing, gifts, and memorial pieces featuring his original designs. His art has reached people across the globe and continues to be used in giveaways, family commissions, and tribal events. Bobby has collaborated with others to bring his traditional designs into new mediums-such as wood engraving, drum-making, jewelry, and rattles-fusing ancestral knowledge with contemporary tools.

While he prefers not to sell his original carvings, he is excited to share his work more broadly through wood-engraved art, allowing more people to access and connect with traditional Chinookan designs without the spiritual attachment his original pieces carry. As one of fewer than ten active carvers who deeply understand and practice traditional Chinookan carving, Bobby remains committed to cultural preservation, mentorship, and creative innovation within his community and beyond.

Bigriverart.org
https://beartracksndn.etsy.com/
https://www.instagram.com/beartracksndn
https://www.tiktok.com/@beartracksndn

Chicha (Grandmother) 2018 Cedar Carving 90 x 150

Man in the moon Alder/ yellow cedar 2022 30.48 x 30.48

Coyotes power Yellow Cedar 2022 60 x 90

Sun and moon yellow cedar 2023 91.44 x 182.88

The Caller 2002 Alder carving 50 x 85