Nathan Jackson (artist)

Nathan Jackson (born August 29, 1938^[1]) is an American artist. He is among the most important living Tlingit artists^[2] and the most important Alaskan artists.^[3] He is best known for his totem poles, but works in a variety of media.

Jackson belongs to the Sockeye clan on the Raven side of the Chilkoot Tlingit.^[1] As a young adult, he served in the military in Germany, and then became involved in commercial fishing.^[1] While ill with pneumonia and unable to fish, he began to carve miniature totem poles.^[1] His interest in art was piqued, and he enrolled in the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.^[1] Since then, Jackson's work has included large totem poles, canoes, carved doors, wood panel clan crests, masks, and jewelry.^[1] Jackson has worked to pass on traditional Tlingit carving skills to younger artists, and has offered many demonstrations and workshops in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.^[1]

Jackson has created more than 50 totem poles,^[4] some of which are on display in the National Museum of the American Indian,^[5] the Field Museum in Chicago,^[6] Harvard University's Peabody Museum,^[7] and other museums in the United States, Europe, and Japan.^[1] Other totem poles stand outside Juneau Douglas High School,^[8] Juneau's Centennial Hall,^[8][9] in Juneau's Sealaska Building,^[8] in Totem Bight State Historical Park,^[10] at the Alaska Native Heritage Center,^[3] at Saxman Totem Park,^[11] and at the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan.^[9] He is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship (1995),^[1] a Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist Award (2009),^[12][13] and an honorary doctorate in humanities from the University of Alaska Southeast.^[1]

Jackson currently resides in Ketchikan, Alaska.^[14] His wife and son are also artists.^[6]

References