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Tuesday 30th January 2007
Gisborne Herald Home > Arts/Entertainment

Galanin brings blues to benefit gig

by Kristine Walsh
Saturday, 27 January, 2007

IN Dave Galanin’s hometown of Sitka, Alaska it is -2 degrees Celsius – below freezing – while at his current home at Wainui Beach, just out of Gisborne, it is teetering at around 32 degrees.

But while Galanin is suffering in the heat, he is certainly not complaining. The native Alaskan says the climate is part of the reason behind his 17-year love affair with New Zealand.

A renowned silver carver, born into the Eagle Nest House of the Kogwaantaan Clan, Galanin first travelled to New Zealand in 1990. He returned as an international guest artist for the Te Ra Festival, held in Gisborne in 2000.

During 2003-04, he and his family spent 14 months living in the Bay of Islands region of New Zealand on a “working holiday” then, a year later, he hosted Napier-based Ngati Porou stone carver Stacy Gordine for New Zealand-Alaskan arts exchange.

Then, in May last year, Galanin, wife Margaret and nine-year-old daughter Natalie moved to Gisborne – leaving his adult son Nick in Alaska – after Margaret secured a two-year contract with the Ministry of Education.

Here, Galanin has continued his work, creating carved pieces in silver, gold, copper and jade in his Wainui workshop then shipping them to his dealer gallery back home.

But he has also been able to devote more time to another artform . . . playing and singing Delta blues.

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