Gordon Coons' heritage is Ojibwa from Lake Superior Chippewa Band of Wisconsin (from my father) and Ottawa from Michigan (from my mother). He is an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe of northern Wisconsin. Originally from Wisconsin, Gordon is now living in Minneapolis Minnesota.

Gordon is a self taught artist, creating works in a variety of mediums including linoleum block prints, paintings, pen and ink, creations in stone and wood and assembled sculptures. Although his artwork is more contemporary, each piece portrays a unique view of traditional native stories.

Gordon has been showing artwork at juried shows around the country, including Eiteljorg Museum of Indianapolis; Art Northwest of Portland, Oregon; University of Kansas Museum of Anthropology at Lawrence, Kansas; Oscar Howe Arts Center and Dakota Discovery Museum at Mitchell, South Dakota; Gathering of People Wind and Water, Rapid City, South Dakota.