Jerrod Galanin
Jerrod Galanin comes from a long lineage of Tlingit artists spanning multiple generations. His art is more than a career for him. It is a calling. Jerrod has always been in awe of the Tlingit art form’s visual language, how it can embody both simple elegance and infinite complexity at the same time.
Born in 1977, Jerrod grew up in Sitka, Alaska, watching his father, Tlingit carver Dave Galanin and uncle, carver Will Burkhart. His father and uncle were his first mentors sharing their knowledge of Tlingit history, formline design, tool making, silver engraving and woodworking. Jerrod apprenticed with Northwest Coast (NWC) historian and artist Steve Brown learning additional NWC formline design, traditional dugout canoe and goat horn spoon making. He also studied with his brother Nicholas to enhance his formline design work, engraving and stone carving techniques.
In 1997, Jerrod started to carve and make jewelry with his family. Today, he works in many materials, including silver, copper, fur, wood, skins, and more and employs both traditional and contemporary techniques and materials as he explores his voice, strengthens his designs and expresses his life experiences.
Jerrod has participated in numerous NWC art workshops throughout Alaska, selected as a featured artist in several group exhibitions in the US, Europe and Canada relating to Native issues and identity, and received various grants and awards including a 2014 Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award. Jerrod’s work can be found in galleries across Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
Though it was handed to Jerrod over the years in bits and pieces, in skills and stories, he now understands what it means to be a carrier of this torch, a holder of the ancient knowledge and beauty of Tlingit culture. After weathering generations of forced assimilation, colonization, and institutionalized racism, this torch is a feat of resilience and defiance. He strives to stay true to those before him and to inspire those who come after him.
Jerrod wants to share with the world the beauty and sophistication of his culture and its art. He strives to push himself to be the best at what he does while honoring the beauty of what was and what has yet to be. As a Tlingit artist, he wants to inspire and invite you to see this beauty.