CULTURAL GROUP:
Coast Salish (Squamish)

BORN:
November, 1969

BIRTHPLACE:
Vancouver, BC

George Stokes began working as an artist in 1985 with encouragement from his uncle, Cody Mathias. In 1986, George was invited to help carve a totem pole with late Haida artist Bill Reid and established Haida carver Don Yeomans. This pole is now housed within Vancouver's Kitsilano Secondary School. In 2010, he graduated from the Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts program held at Vancouver's Native Education College. While he has spent most of his career as a wood carver - creating plaques, talking sticks, rattles, and masks - he is beginning to expand into metalwork and giftware. For example, George has started transferring his original designs to clothing. He has worked with Vancouver Island company Ruggid Coast to create some of his designs in powder-coated steel. In 2017, George was commissioned by Blue Cross Insurance to create two large 36” cedar panels for their Burnaby office. In 2018 and again in 2019, George was commissioned by ICBC to create two prints and two paddles for the organization.