Andy Wilbur-Peterson

American (born 1955)

Andy Wilbur-Peterson (Skokomish) creates carvings and other artworks in the Salish tradition of the Pacific Northwest. He works in many different mediums, such as basketry, printmaking, glass, wool weaving, graphic art, and carving.

Wilbur-Peterson was born in Shelton, Western Washington, to Skokomish members Arlene Peterson and Dennis Allen. He was raised on the Skokomish Reservation and is a member of the Skokomish Tribe for over seventy years. At the age of twelve, he was taking commissions for his bead work. As a teenager, he helped gather materials with well-known basket makers, Louisa Pulsifer and Emily Miller. This experience, and a museum tour of Northwest Coast art, inspired him to explore art in its various forms. In 1987, Wilbur-Peterson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American studies from The Evergreen State College in Olympia. While there, he worked with Makah artist Greg Colfax on a 12-foot-tall female Welcome Figure for the college. This prompted his interest in researching Coast Salish design and carving, as well as pieces made by his great-grandfather, Henry Allen. He has taught both carving and painting classes over the years to people of all ages, through various tribes and local schools.