John Goodwin Nytom

• Makah

John is from the Makah Nation of Neah Bay Washington, USA. close relatives to the Nuu-chah-nulth people of Vancouver Island.

John Goodwin grew up in Neah Bay, a small town located in the northwest corner of the State of Washington and home of the Makah People. He was raised by his family with a strong sense of family, culture and Community in Neah Bay. Early, John pursued a career in construction and fishing. In his spare time he made native objects as gifts for his family and friends. In the winter of 1975 he found himself unable to work and decided to take several of his steam bentwood boxes to Seattle to sell. It was the first time that his life changed and Nytom (his native name) became a professional and practicing artist.
To hone his skills as an artist, he apprenticed under Arthur Thompson. His art helped him to understand the fundamentals of the west coast form and design. After working with Thompson, he began designing and pulling his own limited edition prints. He executed engravings in silver, and later in gold. With family assistance, they started a printing company and sold printed fabric products in Washington, British Columbia and Alaska.
John Goodwin lives in Sequim and works in several other mediums that lend themselves to native design. Currently, glass metal and wood hold his greatest, interest, while continuing to engrave jewelry