David Boxley was raised by his Tsimshian grandparents in Metlakatla, Alaska. “The village had totally lost its culture,” he says. “The community had moved from British Columbia in 1887 with an Anglican missionary. The people willingly gave up most of what defines us as Tsimshian people.” In the 1980s, Boxley, who had been a school teacher, turned to art as a way to revive his tribal culture. His grandfather taught him how to cut down cedar trees that he learned how to carve into totem poles. He describes the sculptures as the “physical example of an oral tradition.” Today, a 22-foot red cedar totem pole carved and painted by him and his son David Robert greets visitors to the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C. His tribe has named him Culture Bearer—“one who revives preserves and carries on their culture.”
Chris Hopkins, Hukgyilaam, oil on panel, 24 x 36"Chris Hopkins was born in the state of Washington and graduated with honors from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. During his highly successful career, he designed posters for such hits as Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In 1988 he moved his family back to Washington Working with Northwest Coast native chiefs, culture bearers and noted anthropologists, he created paintings honoring the First Nations People of the Pacific Northwest. He continued his career in illustration and began painting narrative works of historical subjects. He and his wife, Jan, a fiber artist, began research into the Native tribes of the region. In 1996, he began working with David Boxley documenting the Tsimshian tribe at the turn of the 21st century. Some of his narrative paintings measure 6 by 8 feet and are complemented by portraits of Native people. Hopkins says, “When I paint, I try to show the best in people.”
David Boxley (First Nations Tsimshian), Raven Transformation Mask, cedar
The two artists are the subject of the exhibition, Story Tellers; Two Friends, Two Cultures at the Schack Art Center in Everett, Washington, March 24 through June 4.
David Boxley (First Nations Tsimshian), Rattle, cedar
The art center notes, “Their admiration for one another is a true lesson in allyship, founded on a mutual desire to present an authentic and unromanticized version of the Tsimshian culture. Together, David and Chris will use their unique talents to share the stories of the Northwest Coast First Nations Peoples in a unified voice.”
David Boxley (First Nations Tsimshian), Bulging Box, cedar
One of Hopkins’ paintings is Hukgyilaam, a portrait of Boxley carving his totem pole now at the NMAI.
Boxley’s Raven Transformation Mask represent those used in tribal dances. Closed, the mask depicts Raven, the trickster who brought light to the world. When the dancer opened the mask, it transformed into a human mask.
March 24-June 4, 2022
Story Tellers: Two Friends, Two Cultures
Schack Art Center 2921 Hoyt Avenue, Everett, WA 98201
(425) 259-5050, www.schack.org
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