Blog Food is Medicine: Louie Gong March 31, 2025 Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Email Louie Gong Artist Bio: Louie Gong (Nooksack)(@louiegong) is a prominent Coast Salish artist, activist, and entrepreneur who was raised by his grandparents in the Nooksack tribal community. In 2008, he founded the ground breaking lifestyle brand Eighth Generation, the first Native-owned company to produce wool blankets, shifting millions from non-Native corporations to Native artists and Native-owned businesses. A self-taught artist, Louie’s vibrant Coast Salish art has been showcased at esteemed institutions like the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History and Harvard’s Peabody Essex Museum. He has collaborated with brands like Brooks Running and Starbucks and designed for the Seattle Kraken and Alaska Airlines. His recent work merges watercolor and Chinese ink with Coast Salish design. After creating economic opportunities for over 70 Native artists, Louie sold Eighth Generation to the Snoqualmie Tribe in 2019, exemplifying the “Native American Dream.” In 2023, he joined the U.S. Senate’s Commission on Art where he will continue his fierce advocacy for cultural artists. Since 2007, his story has been highlighted by MSNBC, NPR, NBC Nightly News, National Geographic and many others. #ArtistsForFoodJustice: Twelve Washington artists from Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities and marginalized identities interpret our monthly Meaning of Food themes through original digital artwork, premiering on the first day of each month. Learn more about this series and the artists here.
