About the Artist
Gary Peterson
Gary Peterson is from the 'Namgis First Nation and was born and raised in ʼYa̱lis (Alert Bay), British Columbia. His father is Dale Peterson Sr. from the 'Na̱mg̱is tribe, and his mother is Dorothy (née Alfred), the eldest child of Chief Christopher Alfred, Kwakiutl and Na̱mg̱is Nations.
Gary comes from high-ranking lineage on both sides of his family. His mother's family, the Hunts, connects his bloodline to noble ancestry from Fort Rupert to Southern Tongass Island, Alaska. His father's family are the Rufus and Harris, the two original families of the 'Namgis tribe.
Gary has worked at Thunderbird Park in the carving studio at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, doing carving demonstrations and telling legends to visitors. He is a capable artist who both demonstrates traditional Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw carving and explains the origins of the artwork and the legends of his people.
Gary also enjoys creating music, and is presently writing and performing songs that have taken him on a new path — though the creation of his artwork remains one of his greatest passions.
