Seattle artist and educator Louie Gong custom paints Vans tennis shoes with designs inspired by Coast Salish art. They’re so popular he has trouble keeping up with demand. He’s even been invited to showcase his custom shoes, at a fashion show next month at the 2010 Winter Olympics. And yet, growing up Louie struggled to find a way to express his own identity through art.  Louie Gong spoke with KUOW’s Jamala Henderson about how eventually, it all boiled down to a pair of shoes.

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I was very honored just to be included in Indian Country Today’s Annual Business Magazine, so you can imagine how I felt when I heard that ICT devoted 4 glossy pages to Dana Arviso’s awesome article.  The article, which focuses on the genesis of my small business, isn’t available online, but you can order a hard copy here if you’re interested.

“Louie Gong, an education resource coordinator at Muckleshoot Tribal College in Auburn, Wash., is well-versed on issues of multiculturalism and mixed-race heritage but he isn’t an expert and has no intentions of becoming one. In fact, he’s the “anti-expert.” ...

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Watch trailer for Longhouse Media’s intimate profile of my art and activism.