| Folk Arts - Master Artist - Greg Colfax
The Makah language has no word for “art.” Traditional native carvings, drums, and designs are simply a part of life, as basic as housing and food. It is a lifestyle of sharing, learning and teaching. In that sense, Greg Colfax is not an artist—he simply provides a basic part of Makah culture. He creates Makah masks, drums, figures, rattles, whistles, paddles, and hunting equipment.
Greg learned to carve from his grandfather, Roger Colfax, who taught him technical details and the meanings inside the rituals and designs. Greg learned to listen to elder’s relate a dream, using the imagery to carve masks used at the elder man’s potlatch. He learned to hold the knife and train his eyes. He studied with Art Thompson and George David and learned many techniques from his father. Greg’s greatest lessons came from visiting many museums across the US, many displaying carvings 100 to 200 years old.
In 2000 Greg was awarded a Folk Arts Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contributions to preserving Makah cultural traditions. | |||
