Jerry Whitehead is of Cree heritage from the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Since childhood, art has been a lifelong passion for Jerry. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Indian Arts (S.I.F.C) from the University of Regina in 1983. Jerry went on to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1987.
Jerry says, “Powwoww dancers have been an ongoing theme in my work since I began painting. Seeing the dancers as a child had a lasting impression. The subject matter has been ideal for expressing a part of my culture as well as accommodating changes in my work. Many of the issues that accompany the dancers are about life in general, or what affects me at the time.”