Eugene Landry
The Story of an Artist, a Time and a Tribe
Finding a Lost Collection of Art in the Pacific Northwest
Decades later, wanting to write a magazine article about Landry, I started looking for examples of his art. I never expected such a trove. At least 70 paintings and drawings by Eugene Landry were stacked underneath dusty bed sheets. They had not seen the light of day since the mid-90’s. Finding so much art changed everything.
Landry’s art sparked stories within the tribal community, functioning as cultural cue cards on mid-20th-century reservation life. With so many stories, the magazine article grew into a book. The restored art became an exhibit. And this is just the beginning.
—Judith Altruda, Astoria, Oregon
Portrait of Gene, An Artist, A Tribe, and a Time, winner of a 2019 Humanities Washington Storytellers Grant

Preserving Eugene’s Legacy
The project goals are to preserve and share the art of Eugene Landry with the world outside the Shoalwater Bay reservation.
Courage, Stamina And Unbreakable Creative Spirit
We hope to inspire others by presenting a profile of Eugene Landry that reflects his courage, stamina and unbreakable creative spirit.
Your purchase of this beautiful catalog helps bring Gene’s work back to life. We are offering this informational booklet of Gene’s work and life at cost.
The 52 pages are filled with interviews, photos, and art. Produced with funding from a Humanities Washington 2019 Storytellers Grant. Priced at cost.
2022 Exhibit at the Na`m`sc`ac Heritage Museum in Tokeland WAshington
What a compelling, multi-layered experience, to see and feel Landry’s story unfold as his art evolves. A thousand small details create a nuanced conversation about culture and individuality, disability and transcendence, racism and reconciliation. I came away inspired, humbled, and wide awake to the sheer valiance it takes to create.
Recent Articles
Disabled Artists; Then, Now, and a Time for the ADA
“Gene left behind… paintings of a rich inner world, paintings depicting his newfound life and...
Reviving the “Lost” Art of Eugene Landry
Thirty years after his death, a resilient Shoalwater Bay tribal artist has an exhibit in Astoria...
Exhibit Reception Highlights
Portrait of Eugene Landry, an Artist, a Time and a Tribe, with Contemporary Shoalwater Bay Artists...
Disabled Artists; Then, Now, and a Time for the ADA
“Gene left behind… paintings of a rich inner world, paintings depicting his newfound life and...
Reviving the “Lost” Art of Eugene Landry
Thirty years after his death, a resilient Shoalwater Bay tribal artist has an exhibit in Astoria...
Exhibit Reception Highlights
Portrait of Eugene Landry, an Artist, a Time and a Tribe, with Contemporary Shoalwater Bay Artists...
Quinault Storyteller in Astoria November 17th
Published in The Astorian, Coast Weekend November 16, 2023
Contact Us
Contact Form
Shoalwater Bay Tribe
Community Library and Heritage Museum
Museum Hours
Tuesday — Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Call for information: (360) 267-8130
Getting To the Museum
4115 State Route 105 Tokeland, WA, 98590
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