https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/12/19/nicholas-galanin-don-tyson-prize-crystal-bridges
Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit-Unangax̂), a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and member of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, has been awarded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s Don Tyson Prize. The biennial $200,000 award recognizes outstanding contributions to American art.
Established in 2016, the prize honors individuals or organizations that “change the way we look at, think about, or experience” American art. Past recipients include photographer and historian Deborah Willis (2022), Houston-based Project Row Houses (2020), artist and activist Vanessa German (2018), and the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art (2016).
Based in Alaska, Galanin merges sculpture, video, performance, music, and craft, incorporating traditional Tlingit forms and techniques to explore contemporary themes of Indigeneity and transformation. He began his artistic journey at 14, learning jewelry-making and carving from his father and grandfather, and later studied at London Guildhall University and Massey University in New Zealand. His work, which interrogates the visual legacy of colonialism, has been showcased at major exhibitions such as the Biennial of Sydney, the Whitney Biennial, and SITE Santa Fe. Galanin also extends his practice through music with his band, Ya Tseen, delving into themes of Indigenous rights and sovereignty.