Intro

 Joshua Adams primarily works with wood sculpture, but his portfolio also includes bronze sculpture, stone carvings, paintings, photography, molding, 3D printing, pottery, and videography. His work has been featured in numerous shows around the world. He is a proud member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and an alumnus of Western Carolina University. Additionally, he is a member of the esteemed Qualla Arts and Crafts Cooperative.

Recently, Joshua was added to the permanent collection at the Asheville Art Museum with his mask “False Faced God." In 2018, he had the opportunity to participate in and curate “Renewal of the Ancient," a Cherokee millennial artist showcase in collaboration with the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. That same year, his solo exhibition titled “Facing Culture" was displayed at Western Carolina University, featuring masks and carvings of the human face by Adams, who demonstrates a deep reverence for his culture through his artwork.

Joshua also had the honor of being selected for the fifth annual Cherokee Days Festival at the National Museum of the American Indian. This event gathers representatives from all three federally recognized Cherokee tribes (Cherokee Nation, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) to showcase the shared history and cultural traditions of the tribes. Activities include an exhibition, storytelling, traditional flute music, weaponry, woodcarving, beadwork, traditional games, basket weaving, pottery demonstrations, and dance performances.

In 2016, Joshua received a first-place ribbon in the Sculpture division at the SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market. That same year, he earned two awards at the Cherokee Art Market: the Culture Keeper Award and Best of Class in the Sculpture Division. Earlier, he secured first place at the 2015 SWAIA Indian Market in Diverse Arts and received two first-place ribbons at the 2015 Cherokee Indian Fair for his paintings and traditional masks.

Joshua comes from a long line of Cherokee woodcarvers, dating back to James “Red” and Irma Bradley. He studied under renowned Cherokee artist Dr. James Bud Smith and was directly influenced by legendary Cherokee artists Amanda Crowe and John Julius Wilnoty.