Tlingit Unangax̂ artist Nicholas Galanin has been awarded the 2024 Don Tyson Prize for the Advancement of American Art by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The prize includes a $200,000 cash award.
The Don Tyson Prize, inaugurated in 2016, honors individuals or collectives in the United States working in any medium. The award was founded by the Tyson Family in honor of the late Don Tyson, former chairman and CEO of Tyson Foods. Past American artists who have received the award include Deborah Willis in 2022 and vanessa german in 2018.
“Nicholas Galanin’s work is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage, spiritual beliefs, and deep connection to the land of Indigenous peoples,” said Olivia Tyson, president of the Tyson Family Foundation. “We are inspired by his talent and are thrilled to award him with the fifth Don Tyson Prize. He’s a bold artist who creates thought-provoking work. Nicholas has impacted the field through innovation, creative thinking, and risk-taking.”
Born in Sitka, Alaska, in 1979, Galanin learned to make art at a young age. At 14, he learned jewelry-making and carving from his father and grandfather. He pursued his formal education in art at London Guildhall University, where he earned his BFA in 2003. He continued his education at Massey University in New Zealand, graduating with his MFA in 2007.
Galanin’s practice spans various media, including sculpture, video, music, and performance, often blending traditional Tlingit crafts with contemporary themes. His work is known to critique colonialism and address urgent social and environmental issues. Many of these works reclaim historical narratives and celebrate Indigenous knowledge. This recognition from Crystal Bridges highlights Galanin’s impact on the art world and his contribution to expanding the narrative of American art.
“My work seeks to disrupt colonial frameworks while celebrating Indigenous presence, knowledge, and creativity,” said Galanin. “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.”
Galanin’s current exhibition, “Exist in the Width of a Knife’s Edge,” is on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art until February 16, 2025. He recently presented a site-specific installation on Faena Beach during Art Basel Miami Beach. This work, titled Seletega (run, see if people are coming/corre a ver si viene gente) (2024), represented a buried Spanish galleon where only the masts and sails were visible, symbolizing the failed empire. His works have also been featured globally, including at the Biennial of Sydney, the Whitney Biennial, and Site Santa Fe. He has been represented by Peter Blum Gallery since 2019.
