About

Caroline Bark grew up and lives in Bozeman, Montana. She attended the University of Hawai’i at Manoa for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Her master’s work focused on ancient Hawaiian religion and practices, featherwork being a part of her studies. Inspiration from ancient and modern feather artists, along with a dream from Papa Mac McKinsey, led her to this creative endeavor in the Fall of 2019.

Like any fine art, featherwork requires an eye for detail and patience. One must truly love the process. Sustainability is important to Caroline, and all pheasant feathers are harvested locally in the Gallatin Valley. In bird hunting, the meat and tail feathers of pheasants are consumed and used, but the smaller, body feathers are discarded the majority of the time. Caroline accepts pheasant body feathers from neighbors and friends, allowing for the whole bird to be utilized.

For inquiries about available pieces and commissions, please see the contact page. Caroline’s featherwork pieces can also be found at Cello Gallery in downtown Bozeman, Montana.

more about featherwork

Featherwork is an ancient, sacred art and practice found in many cultures around the world. Pre-Columbian people of Peru used feather tapestries to record stories, events, celebrate gods and important people. Ancient Hawaiians created beautiful ahu’ula (feather cloaks), maihole (helmets), and kahili (staffs) for chiefs. Chiefs also presented feather pieces as gifts to important foreign visitors, such as Captain James Cook.

Today, many Hawaiian featherworkers craft hatbands and lei. A select few such as Kumu Rick San Nicolas still create the ahu’ula, maihole and kahili.

The following links are additional resources on featherwork in Hawai’i and Peru: Johanna Drew Cluney; Mary Louise Kekuawa and her daughter Paulette Kahalepuna; Peruvian Featherwork.

I’m forever grateful to my UH Manoa professor, John Charlot, for encouraging me to pursue my interest and passion for Hawaiian history and religion. Charlot’s article about the feather pa’u (skirt) of Princess Nahi’ena’ena is one of the most comprehensive articles on featherwork and Hawaiian religion.