David A. Boxley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David A. Boxley....
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David Boxley carving a totem pole
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| Born | 1952 Ketchikan, Alaska
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| Nationality | American, Tsimshian |
| Education | Seattle Pacific University |
| Known for | Totem Poles, Tsimshian carvings |
David A. Boxley (born 1952) is a famous American artist. He is from the Tsimshian tribe in Alaska. He is best known for creating many Totem Poles and other traditional Tsimshian artworks.
Boxley grew up in Metlakatla, Alaska, where many Tsimshian people live. His art uses traditional Tsimshian styles and methods. His work is known around the world. He is one of the most active modern makers of Totem Poles. He has carved over 70 poles. These poles are shown in famous places like Disney World in Florida. One is also at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. This pole is always on display there. His other carvings are in museums. Some are even owned by royal families in Europe and Asia.
David Boxley has also helped bring back Tsimshian culture. He started Tsimshian dance groups. He helped restart the traditional ceremony called Potlatch. He also shares knowledge of the Tsimshian language.
Boxley lives in Lynnwood, Washington today. His sons, especially David R. Boxley, are also successful artists and carvers. He is a member of the Laxsgiik (Eagle clan). He has four Tsimshian names. One means "First to Potlatch" and another means "He Who Works with the Cedar."
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How David Boxley Started
Boxley was born in Ketchikan, Alaska, in 1952. He grew up in Metlakatla, Alaska. His grandparents mostly raised him. He spent a lot of time with them as a child. When Boxley was young, traditional Tsimshian culture was almost gone in Metlakatla. This was because of past actions against the Tsimshian people.
But Boxley was lucky. His grandparents kept traditional Tsimshian culture alive. They spoke the Tsimshian language. They knew many old traditions. He first learned to carve from his Grandfather. Boxley often calls his grandfather his "hero." He said his grandfather "could build anything." His grandfather taught him about wood and how to make tools. Boxley's first art projects were carvings he helped his grandfather with. He still uses a special tool called an adze that he made with his grandfather. Boxley says he wanted to be an artist since he was in third grade.
After high school, Boxley went to Seattle Pacific University. He earned a science degree in 1974. For ten years, he worked as a high school teacher and basketball coach. He taught in Seattle, Metlakatla, and Washington. During this time, he began to study Tsimshian art and culture seriously. He looked at the works of old Tsimshian artists. He also studied art from other Pacific Northwest Coast tribes. These included the Haida and Tlingit people. He also studied art left by the ancestors of these tribes. Boxley used libraries, art classes, and museums to learn. He also took some classes from a well-known Tsimshian artist, Jack Hudson. But Boxley mostly taught himself through his own research. He learned many old art styles and methods that had been forgotten. This research soon took over his teaching. Boxley decided to become a full-time artist in the mid-1980s.
David Boxley's Art and Career
Early Art Projects
Since the mid-1980s, Boxley has worked on many art projects. One of his first big projects was for the 'Talking Stick' at the 1990 Goodwill Games. Boxley designed the top part of the stick. He made it a symbol of peace between the United States and the Soviet Union. It showed the American eagle and the Russian bear together. The stick even had messages from the leaders of both countries. These were President George H.W. Bush and President Mikhail Gorbachev. This was an important artwork seen by people all over the world. The stick was carried across states like the Olympic Torch. Since then, Boxley has become known as a top carver. His art is now known internationally.
Famous Totem Poles
Boxley is most famous for his Totem Poles. They have been shown across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. They are displayed in many important places.
Totem Poles at Walt Disney World
Three of Boxley's poles are at the Canada Pavilion in Epcot Center. This is part of Walt Disney World in Florida. Disney asked him to create a new totem pole in 1998. This was to go with two other poles that were made of fiberglass. Disney wanted to make the park feel more real. Then, in 2017, Disney asked Boxley to make two more poles. These replaced the fiberglass ones. People have praised these poles for being very real. However, some critics say that putting the poles in a tourist place might make them lose their cultural meaning.
Totem Pole at the Smithsonian Museum
Another of Boxley's poles is at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. This museum is in Washington D.C. His pole is always on display there. This is special because the museum usually changes its exhibits. Only very popular or important artworks stay on permanent display. This was Boxley's 70th pole. It was made from a 500-year-old cedar tree. His son David helped him carve it. Many Native American artists want their art in this museum. Boxley is very proud to have a pole there. He was especially happy that the Tsimshian tribe and his village of Metlakatla were shown to people across the country and the world. He is only the second modern Totem Pole carver to have a pole in this museum. The first was Nathan Jackson.
Totem Poles in Metlakatla and the U.S.
Boxley has also carved most of the poles in his hometown of Metlakatla. In 1982, he made the town's first raised pole. Since then, he has made others with carver Wayne Hewson. Together, they have made 11 of Metlakatla's 13 totem poles. Most of his poles are in the U.S. and Canada. Many of them have special meaning to him. For example, one stands outside Northwest Hospital in Seattle. It is dedicated to his sister-in-law who passed away. Another pole is one of three in Metlakatla that stand together. Boxley made the largest one, which is 30 feet tall. He made it to honor his grandfather.
Other Artworks by Boxley
Besides Totem Poles, Boxley has made many other items. These include bentwood boxes, masks, rattles, prints, and paintings. Many of these artworks are in galleries, museums, and art auctions. These places are in the United States and Europe. He has a strong connection with Quintana Galleries in Portland, Oregon. His work is always shown there. Many of his items are also owned by world leaders. These include leaders in Germany, the King of Sweden, and the Emperor of Japan.
Sharing His Knowledge
Boxley still carves today. In recent years, he has focused on teaching younger Tsimshian people. He shares his knowledge and techniques with them. His sons, David and Zachery, have followed in his footsteps. They are both successful carvers. David R. Boxley has become well-known as a talented carver. He has started making Totem Poles himself. Boxley now works with his sons, stepson, and nephew on most of his projects. Boxley also mentored S'Klallam artist Jeffrey Veregge for a while in 2001. In 2019, Boxley took on an apprentice named Dylan Sanidad. He teaches Dylan traditional Tsimshian carving through a special program.
David Boxley's Art Style
Boxley's art is made in a very traditional way. He focuses on a unique Tsimshian art style. At first, Boxley used ideas from different Pacific North West Coast styles. These included Haida and Tlingit art. But in the mid-1980s, his style became more clearly Tsimshian. He calls his style "Alaskan Tsimshian." This means it is specific to the Tsimshian people in Alaska. For his Totem Poles, he uses old red cedar trees. These are the same trees his Tsimshian ancestors used. However, he has started using some modern materials instead of old ones. For example, he uses latex paint instead of traditional Tsimshian pigments. These old pigments were made from things like copper oxide and charcoal mixed with salmon eggs and urine. Even with these changes, Boxley believes it is very important to keep everything as traditional and real as possible.
Helping Tsimshian Culture Grow Again
Since the 1980s, Boxley has also helped bring back Tsimshian culture. Tsimshian communities have praised his work. Because of his efforts, his Tsimshian tribe gave him the title of "culture bearer." He says this title is the greatest honor he has received. Others outside the Tsimshian community have also praised his work. Quintana Galleries in Portland said about Boxley, "Not all of the artists [in the museum] were reviving a culture, but he was." Kevin Gover, the director of the National Museum of the American Indian, also said, "David Boxley has been key in bringing back the cultural traditions of carving, song, and dance in his Tsimshian community."
One of Boxley's efforts was restarting the "Potlatch." This is a traditional ceremony of Indigenous groups on the Pacific North West Coast. In 1982, Boxley led the first Potlatch in Metlakatla in over 100 years. He also made songs and dances for the event. He also raised a Totem Pole he made. Since then, he has led other Potlatches across the Pacific Northwest.
Boxley has also started and led traditional Tsimshian dance groups. The most famous one is the "Git-Hoan," which means "People of the Salmon." Boxley's son David now leads this group. The group has performed across the United States, Canada, and Europe. They have been very successful and well-liked. The Git-Hoan group combines traditional Tsimshian song, language, and dance. They also use masks, costumes, and instruments made by Boxley. Boxley wants the Git-Hoan performances to be very real. He has researched old song styles, dances, costumes, and ornaments. He used old materials like a silent film from 1913 and a wax audio reel. All these real traditions are shown to people around the world. The Git-Hoan dancers performed many times at the Disney Epcot Center. This was part of the ceremony for the two poles he raised there in 2017. These performances were praised for bringing real Native American culture to the park. It was one of the few true Native American performances at the park since it opened.
Boxley also cares about keeping the Tsimshian language alive. Only about 70 people still speak it in Alaska. He and his son David are involved in Tsimshian language classes. Also, both Boxleys write songs for their Git-Hoan dance group using the traditional Tsimshian language. They do this on purpose to let people hear the language.
Because of David Boxley's hard work, Metlakatla has seen a strong return of traditional culture. Younger generations of the Tsimshian tribe now have the chance to experience traditional Tsimshian culture.
Images for kids
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David Boxley carving a totem pole
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David Boxley and his son, David R. working on a Totem Pole in the National Museum of the American Indian
