Lou-ann Ika’wega Neel

Indigenous Lead at Creative BC
Kwakwaka'wakw

Lou-ann Ika’wega Neel is a Kwakwaka’wakw artist born in Alert Bay, British Columbia. She has lived most of her life in Victoria, BC, in the unceded traditional territories of the Lekwungen people. She received her BFA in Visual Arts from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and has worked for over 30 years in her artistic practice, which spans jewelry, textiles, as well as wood carvings and paintings. Hailing from the Da’nax’daxw, Ma’amtagila, ‘Namgis and Kwagiulth tribes, Lou-ann descends from a family of artists. Her work is greatly inspired by the work of her grandmother, Ellen Neel and her great-great-grandfather Charlie James.

Interested in helping other Indigenous artists, she has been an active advocate for the Indigenous fine arts community where she has focused on intellectual property rights and copyright of Indigenous artists, their families, nations, and communities. Throughout her career, alongside her artistic practice, she has worked in arts administration. In 2018, she joined the Royal BC Museum as a repatriation specialist, and later became Curator, Indigenous Collections in 2020. In 2022 she was chosen for the role of Indigenous Lead at Creative BC.