David A. Boxley

David A. Boxley (born 1952) is an American artist from the Tsimshian tribe in Alaska, most known for his prolific creation of Totem Poles and other Tsimshian artworks.

Boxley was raised in Metlakatla, Alaska, home to many Tsimshian people. His works, done in traditional Tsimshian style and technique, have had international reach, and he is known as one of the most prolific contemporary makers of Totem Poles in the world. He has created over 70 poles, which have been displayed in notable places like Disney World, Florida and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, where it is permanently displayed. His other carvings are in the collections of various museums, and owned by royal families and nobles across Europe and Asia.

Boxley currently lives in Lynnwood, Washington,

Early life Boxley was born in Ketchikan, Revillagigedo Island, Alaska, in 1952, but grew up in Metlakatla, Alaska. He was mostly raised by his grandparents, and would spend most of his time with them as a child. He described his grandfather as a man who “could build anything”

Totem Poles (1980s–present) Boxley is best known for his Totem Poles, which have been displayed across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Then, in 2017, Disney commissioned Boxley to create two more poles to replace the fiberglass ones. Boxley now works with his sons, stepson and nephew on most of his works. In 2019, Boxley formally took on an apprentice, Dylan Sanidad, through The Washington State Arts Apprenticeship Program, whom he will teach traditional Tsimshian carving.

Due to his efforts, Metlakatla has had a strong revival in traditional culture, and younger generations of the Tsimshian tribe have had the chance to be surrounded by traditional Tsimshian culture.