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Tahltan multimedia artist to appear at Courtenay gallery

Alano Edzerza “Du-ok-wadah” is a Tahltan multimedia artist and entrepreneur based in West Vancouver.
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Tahltan multimedia artist Alano Edzerza will be at the Spirits of the West Coast Native Art Gallery on Saturday.

The public is invited to meet Alano Edzerza on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 3-5 p.m. at Spirits of the West Coast Native Art Gallery at 2926 Back Rd. between Comox and East Courtenay.

Earlier in the day, he will be the guest lecturer in the Comox Valley ElderCollege series From Inheritance to Intuition: 7 Contemporary Northwest Coast First Nations artists.

Edzerza “Du-ok-wadah” is a Tahltan multimedia artist and entrepreneur based in West Vancouver. He belongs to the Raven clan of the Tahltan Nation. Born in 1981, he has been an artist since he could hold a pencil. He received his first recognition of merit at 13 for a sculpture award from the school board of Victoria. This early talent developed rapidly into a professional career with international gallery and museum shows.

Alano began working in Northwest Coast art under the tutelage of his family member, fellow Tahltan artist, Terrance Campbell. In 2002, Alano  attended school in Arizona for jewelry making under the instruction of Rick Charlie. He has also had the opportunity to work with artists Jay Simeon, Marcel Russ, Philip Grey and Corey Bulpitt, among others.

He has had numerous group shows and solo shows in Canada and abroad, and is one of the key artists in the contemporary northwest coast art movement. The arrival of the Vancouver Winter Olympics opened even more doors of opportunity for the rising artist, resulting in the Olympic Committee commissioning Alano to create a large-scale glass installation at Rogers Arena. The ASICS and Dutch Olympic team also contracted him to help design their uniforms for the Games.

Alano has taught and volunteered with youth organizations, and judged the YVR Art Foundation Scholarship for young Native artists. In 2009 he was the recipient of the 30 & Under Entrepreneur of the Year Award.