KINGSTON — Tsimshian artist David Boxley of Kingston is one of 18 artists selected for a fellowship from the Artist Trust.
Boxley received a $7,500 fellowship in Traditional & Folk Arts. All told, $137,500 was awarded in support to individual artists.
Boxley, a native of Metlakatla, Alaska, graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1974 and coached basketball and taught in junior and senior high schools in Alaska and Washington.
While teaching in Metlakatla in 1979, he began studying traditional Tsimshian carving. Through researching ethnographic material and carvings from museum collections, Boxley learned the traditional carving methods of his grandfather’s people. He became an artist full-time in 1986 and is now a nationally recognized artist.
Boxley “has brought the traditions of his ancestors to life, carving 71 totem poles, masks, rattles, bentwood boxes and other art mediums,” the Artist Trust wrote.
“David’s accomplishments include his commitment to the revitalization of Tsimshian culture, bringing traditions to practice and teaching art and language. Additionally, he formed a dynamic performance group called Git-Hoan Dancers (People of the Salmon) that shares Tsimshian legends in dance while showcasing his masks and art.”
In 1990, Boxley was commissioned to carve the crown of a “Talking Stick” for the Goodwill Games. Boxley’s carving of a unified American eagle and a Russian bear symbolized peace and harmony between the United States and Soviet Union and was an important part of the summer’s Goodwill Games. Messages from President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev were inserted in a hollowed portion of the talking stick and athletes carried the stick from Spokane through Washington and Oregon to Seattle for the opening ceremonies.
In 2000, Boxley was commissioned to carve a Talking Stick for the office of the Mayor of Seattle.
In 2012, he installed a 22-foot totem pole at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.
Boxley’s works are in the collections of the King and Queen of Sweden, the Emperor of Japan, the Mayor of Chongging (China), Microsoft, Walt Disney World, Knott’s Berry Farm and numerous private collections.
Artist Trust (www.artisttrust.org) has invested more than $9 million in Washington state artists, through grant programs and direct support, since its founding in 1986. Artist Trust also provides career training, professional development resources and counseling to help artists achieve their career goals.
Artist Trust is a not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to support and encourage individual artists working in all disciplines in order to enrich community life throughout Washington state.
