Cultural Background: Cree, James Smith Band, Saskatchewan

Cree artist Jerry Whitehead, born in 1957, is from the James Smith First Nation. Jerry received a Bachelor of Arts in Indian Art, S.I.F.C from the University of Regina in 1983. He also completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Arts and Design in Halifax in 1987.

When asked about what inspires his work, Jerry says, “Powwow dancers have been an ongoing theme in my work since I began painting. Seeing the dancers as a child had a lasting impression. The subject matter has been ideal for expressing a part of my culture as well as accommodating changes in my work. Many of the issues that accompany the dancers are about life in general or what affects me at the time.”

Jerry currently resides in Vancouver, BC where he continues to work as a full time artist.