Artwork copyright James Madison. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Dale Lang, 2021.

Artwork copyright James Madison. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Dale Lang, 2021.

Artwork copyright James Madison. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Dale Lang, 2021.

Artwork copyright James Madison. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Dale Lang, 2021.

Artwork copyright James Madison. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Dale Lang, 2021.

Artwork copyright James Madison. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Dale Lang, 2021.

Family, 2021

James Madison
(American | Snohomish | Tlingit, born 1973)

Location: Edmonds College, Lynnwood

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

James Madison’s Family sculpture representing intersecting Orca fins is about family and unity on many levels. The three Orca fins represent Madison’s own family—him and his two boys—and the bond that they have. It also represents the importance of passing down traditional information from one generation to the other.

Madison’s design is steeped in a traditional Northwest Coast style that represents his Tlingit and Salish (Tulalip) heritage. By including both styles, he shows the importance of protecting the Orca all along the Northwest Coast, from Washington to Alaska.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Edmonds College.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Tulalip Tribes member James Madison (Snohomish and Tlingit) is a master wood carver. He also works in glass, bronze, and stainless steel, and seeks to combine the new with the old. Madison notes that he is “always thinking of new ways to add a modern twist to a traditional piece. This allows for me to help to keep my culture alive. As we move into the future, so do the teachings of my ancestors.”
Madison was born into a family steeped in traditional Salish and Tlingit Northwest Coast Native art. He began carving when he was 8 years old, learning from his grandfather Frank Madison (1923-2002), uncle Steve Madison, and father Richard Madison (born 1952). He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington in 2000, followed by a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Pratt School of Fine Arts in 2004 (both in Seattle). His studies included courses in Native American Northwest Coast art history; Northwest Coast two-dimensional design and carving; metal sculpture; and glass blowing, fusing, and casting.