Alaskan Wind Man

• Main Author: Merrill, Gene
• Other Authors: Given to the University of Washington Libraries by Norman Jenisch Rose and Louise R. Rose
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Prince of Wales Island; tlingit; Alaska
• Online Access: http://cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org:80/cdm/ref/collection/p16786coll14/id/33

Gene Merrill was born in Hot Springs, South Dakota in 1945. He now lives in Klawock, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. He exhibits in Alaska and has pieces in private collections in the U.S. and in several other countries. In an email to Norman Rose, Mr. Merrill says: "Living in the land of the Native Tlingit and Haidas inspired me to start carving wooden masks. Being self taught and not having a heritage to guide me, I've had to study and learn from the different cultures.Most of my masks are carved from local alder or red and yellow cedar. .I also use abalone shell, beads, horse and human hair and paint.Like some of the other carvers, I've made my crooked knives and adz's." "The Alaska Wind Man was to suggest that we have all sizes of wind. A wind blowing 50 or 60 miles an hour is nothing here. The face on the forehead is just a puff of wind. The main face is for the winter winds we have here. The abalone tears represent the rain and snowflakes that the winds can bring." This is one of two pieces by Mr. Merrill in the UWB Library. The other piece is called "Weeping Grizzly Bear."