About Us

Judith was born in Kitwanga Village, that borders the Skeena River in Northwestern
British Columbia. She attended a one-room schoolhouse that was taught by a Mrs.
Hayhurst. Mr. And Mrs. Hayhurst were missionaries from England. The school taught
only through grades six, so other arrangements had to be made. The alternative was
to go to the Alberni Indian Residential School on Vancouver Island.

The segregation and isolation at the Residential School years were the loneliest six
years of her life. Lack of Ethnic Food and unable to see relatives except for the
summer months left many unanswered questions. Perhaps the classroom attendance
of two hours a day and entering high school with eight subjects and tests were the
most difficult of all those years. It was at this time that her art classes began.

After High School she attended the Provincial Normal School in Victoria, B.C. Canada.
This awarded her with an Elementary Teaching Certificate. In the summer of 1950,
she received a two year scholarship to attend Cottey Junior College, Nevada,
Missouri. Following that she received a scholarship from the Kansas City Art
Institute, K.C., Missouri. That same year she met her husband, Willis Fitzpatrick.
Putting her family first, Judith did not complete her education until 1976.

From 1976 to 1982 Judith taught in the schools in the United States. Her name had
been struck from the Kitwanga Band list and feeling that she was no longer a Native,
she took out U.S. Citizenship, but was later reinstated on the Band list in 1985.
She moved back to the village and began teaching. Her years of painting earned her
many one man shows in Canada, and many sales. Her work depicts her culture and
are found hanging in such places as Ottawa, Provincial Archives in Victoria,
Vancouver Art Gallery, University of Victoria, and the University of British Columbia.
Many individuals have also purchased her work.

Judith feels that her people are so misunderstood and so little known about their way of
living, and their struggle just to survive as a Nation. Her work primarily portrays the
traditional cultural background and haunting legends of her people. Much of her
subject matter is still carried out today. One example is the large oil painting called,
“Tets” which relates the inviting of the Chiefs from other villages for the purposes
of attending a potlatch. Her personal experiences of her people are so meaningful that
she will continue to represent them in her Art.