First Nations artist from B.C. brings West Coast twist to new Grateful Dead box set

Roy Henry Vickers, a First Nations artist from northwest British Columbia, has always been a fan of the rock band Grateful Dead but never imagined he would one day be working with them.

Vickers was asked to design the artwork for the legendary band's upcoming 19-disk box set of recordings and, after several years in the making, his work is done.

"Music has always been a part of my life," he said. "When I talk about the Grateful Dead I think about ancestors and a lot of our traditional music is about ancestors so it's really a perfect fit."

Pacific Northwest '73 '74: The Complete Recordings features the band's performances from around the region during those years, including concerts at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver back in June 1973 and May 1974.

It also has six shows that had never before been released.

Vickers said the band was specifically looking for an artist from the Pacific Northwest.

"Somehow, my name came up," he told CBC's George Baker.

Drawing inspiration

Drawing on his own heritage, Vickers is best known for bringing together the traditional and contemporary.

'You never know where inspiration comes from. Sometimes, you don't realize it for years after you create a piece," he said.

The artist has completed dozens of totem poles, published several books and has a gallery in Tofino that bears his name.

Vickerssaid creating a design that mixes psychedelic rock with classical northwest Indigenous art came naturally to him.

"{It's] just the way I mix traditional and contemporary art work as a Northwest Coast artist who is Haida, Tsimshian,Heiltsuk, English, Irish I just express myself," he said.

With files from Daybreak North and George Baker.

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