Arts and Entertainment

Alaskan artist, Nicholas Galanin, wins prestigious fellowship

Tlingit-Aleut artist Nicholas Galanin, 33, of Sitka, Alaska, has been awarded $50,000 as the winner of a United States Artists Rasmuson Fellowship for artist excellence, in the Crafts and Traditional Arts category, according to Sitka radio station KCAW.

Galanin is a multi-talented visual artist, filmmaker and musician who creates jewelry, sculptures, displays and carvings out of many media, including film and audio, paper, silver, cedar, copper, charcoal, bronze, gold, and fur.

Born in Sitka, Galanin has lived, traveled and worked all over the world. He began his arts education in traditional carver's apprenticeships. Then he earned degrees from University of Alaska Southeast in Sitka, Guildhall University in London, England, and from New Zealand's Massey University. Since then he's worked as a lecturer and instructor and has overseen apprenticeships for other aspiring artists. He is serving as guest professor at Victoria University in British Columbia.

According to KCAW, Galanin isn't yet sure what he'll use the fellowship money for, but adds it'll help keep him in pursuit of what he loves.

Every year the United States Artists Rasmuson Fellowship honors 50 of America's most innovative artists with individual fellowship awards of $50,000 each. The Organization awards a total of $17.5 million. (See all the artist and read more.)

Watch one of Galanin's pieces in video one, and his explanation of it below that in video two.

Video one.

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Video two.

Read more about Galanin and check out more of his work.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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