Nicholas Galanin Wins Crystal Bridges Museum’s $200,000 Don Tyson Prize
159Dec. 19, 2024
Multidisciplinary artistNicholas Galaninhas been named the recipient of the 2024Don Tyson Prizefor the Advancement of American Art. The $200,000 prize is awarded biennially by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. Galanin, who lives in Sitka, Alaska, and is of Tlingit-Unangax̂ descent, learned from his father and grandfather how to carve and make jewelry, before studying at London Guildhall University and later Massey University in New Zealand. He is known for work that fuses traditional Tlingit and contemporary practices and motifs in order to critique colonialism and elevate Indigenous culture.
“Nicholas Galanin’s work is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage, spiritual beliefs, and deep connection to the land of Indigenous peoples. We are inspired by his talent and are thrilled to award him with the fifth Don Tyson Prize,” said Olivia Tyson in a statement. “He’s a bold artist who creates thought-provoking work. Nicholas has impacted the field through innovation, creative thinking, and risk-taking.” The museum in 2024 acquired two works by Galanin and was presented with a third as a gift.
“Receiving the Don Tyson Prize is a profound honor,” said Galanin in a statement. “My work seeks to disrupt colonial frameworks while celebrating Indigenous presence, knowledge, and creativity. This recognition fuels my ongoing efforts to create art that sparks dialogue, reclaims narratives, and envisions a future where culture, land, and identity are protected and celebrated.”
Inaugurated in 2016 by the family of the late Don Tyson, the former chairman and chief executive of the Arkansas-based food processing company Tyson Foods, the prize honors a US artist or institution whose work has changed the public perception of American art. Past recipients include photographer, curator, and historian Deborah Willis; Houston-based nonprofit Project Row Houses, which supplies housing to single mothers and studios to resident artists; sculptor Vanessa German; and the Archives of American Art.