BPA's Native American Art Collection

NATIVE AMERICAN ART COLLECTION BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION BPA’s Native American Art Collection 1 BPA’s Native American Art Collection Cover art: “Vision Seekers,” Virgil “Smoker” Marchand, p. 12 Introduction Since the 1980s, BPA has built an art collection featuring significant paintings, prints and sculptures in the Native American tradition. The collection represents the breadth and diversity of expression found in the traditional forms as interpreted by contemporary artists. BPA’s collection reflects the agency’s strong commitment to the diverse history, culture, landscape and peoples of the region. We decided to publish this brochure in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, to share insights into the artists and the artworks in our collection. As a steward of the region’s land and waters, BPA acknowledges its ongoing role in respecting and protecting the environment and all of its cultural resources. Recognizing the tribal histories, and their continuing resonance is of the utmost importance. As we work in consultation with Native American nations, we seek to support and honor their cultural traditions as well as contemporary interpretations. BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION Letter from the Sound Pat Austin, 1935 Moving to Alaska in 1965, Pat Austin found a place of artistic inspiration and a supportive and dynamic arts community. She would stay there for over three decades, teaching printmaking at University of Alaska, holding solo shows at the Anchorage Art Museum, and publishing poetry. At the time this print was made and acquired by BPA, in the 1980s, Austin was widely celebrated for her prints inspired by the Alaskan landscape, history, and way of life. She wrote an essay to accompany the 1978 exhibition “Contemporary Art from Alaska,“ in which she also had pieces at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Central to Austin’s practice are questions of perception — her work often moves between constructing and deconstructing illusions of time, space, and line. Not surprising given her background in writing, Austin values the interpretation of the reader or viewer — seeing all perceptions as valid and key contributions to her work.1 4 NATIVE AMERICAN ART COLLECTION Standing Up Kestrel Rick Bartow, 1946 – 2016 Rick Bartow’s art explores themes of connection and transformation, particularly between the human and animal realms, and between corporeal and spiritual dimensions of existence. Bartow began making art as a form of self-healing while struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism after returning home to Oregon as a veteran. Working in print, painting, drawing and sculpture, Bartow often left intentional traces of his process in the finished pieces. His works have been nationally and internationally acclaimed; among these is “The Cedar Mill Pole,” which was displayed in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden at the White House in 1997. Rick Bartow passed away on April 2, 2016, at the age of 69. He is being honored in a travelling retrospective, “Things You Know but Cannot Explain,” organized by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon and the Froelick Gallery.2 5 BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION Dip Netting in Pools The Fish Carrier Edward S. Curtis, 1868–1952 Edward Curtis was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he worked as a photographer’s apprentice. When he was 17, Curtis’ family re-located to Seattle, Washington. In Seattle, Curtis had the opportunity to meet and subsequently photograph Princess Angeline (Kickisomlo), the elderly daughter of Chief Seattle. This was his first portrait of a Native American and he soon gained a reputation for his depiction of native peoples. In 1892, he set up a photography studio in Seattle. With the studio as his base, funding from J.P. Morgan, and the collaborative assistance of writers, translators and anthropologists, Curtis began his work on compiling the publication “The North American Indian.” This project of interviewing and photographing Native American people across the country became especially vital during a period of transition where much culture and history was being lost. In 1930, he completed his 20th and final volume at the age of 62. The result was over 40,000 photographs and studies of more than 80 tribes from the Plains, Southwest, Northwest and Alaska. 3 Each of Curtis’ portfolios represents a different tribal area. The two pieces in BPA’s collection were taken on the Columbia River. They are photogravures from Portfolio 8, which contains portraits of the Wishram, Nez Perce and Umatilla peoples. 6 NATIVE AMERICAN ART COLLECTION Wyit View Grids Joe Feddersen, 1953 Joe Feddersen was born in Omak, Washington, on the edge of the Colville Indian Reservation. Over the years, Feddersen has worked in painting, basketry, spray paint, glass sculpture, photography, print, and computer-generated imagery. His works reflect an accumulation of these explorations. In his ability to move between mediums and concepts — from figurative to abstract geometric designs derived from traditional Plateau imagery to urban signage, electric towers and Quick Response codes — Joe Feddersen continues to draw out interesting new perspectives. His work has been shown throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the country.4 7 BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION Prairie Chicken Dancer. Flashing His Powers Prairie Chicken Dancer. His Spirits. Through His Mirror. Riding in the Parade at the Round-up George Flett, 1946–2013 A member of the Spokane Tribe, Flett spent much of his career living and working on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Wellpinit, Washington. Though he worked in several mediums, ranging from sculpture to beadwork 5 , Flett is most known for his ledger art — an Indian tradition of depicting stories pictographically on animal hides that morphed into a means of cultural preservation when people were confined to forts, prisons, or Indian schools. Ledger art saw its peak in the 1860s to 1920s when artists utilized a wide range of material. Among these were the pages from accounting ledger books that were a common source of paper in the late 19th century. 6 George Flett’s works are influenced not only by the tribal traditions he learned from his mother but also his reflections on rodeos and his experience as a champion bull rider.7 In addition to making art, Flett also worked as curator of Indian Exhibits at the St. Joseph Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri, and later as curator of the Spokane Tribal Museum. 8 8 NATIVE AMERICAN ART COLLECTION First Bison or Buffalo Carol Grigg, 1942 Carol Grigg has gained an international reputation for her watercolors while living and working in Tualatin, Oregon. She finds the means to express contemporary concerns in the art of the past. Her paintings call to mind prehistoric renderings on cave walls — visual dialogues with the gods of those cultures that equated an intimate understanding of nature with the attainment of wisdom. Her images of horse and rider are widely distributed in prints and lithographs. “We humans are the rider and the horse represents Mother Earth. We must realize how bound we are to the Earth’s survival. Artists paint for many reasons. Mine is to teach.” 9 Grigg’s unique approach to color is constantly changing and her technique is distinctive. She says, “I discovered my own methods because I was uneducated and undoctrinated [sic], and so I experimented. Anyone can do it. You have to get down on the floor with all kinds of materials, throw them, mix them in every configuration until you understand what you’ve got and what you like.” 10 9 BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION Eagle’s Prey Grizzly Bear’s Feast Mark Henderson, 1953 Mark Henderson began painting at the age of 11 under the direction of his father, Chief and master carver Sam Henderson, and has been deeply involved in the art and culture of his people and community ever since. Henderson divides his time by the seasons: spending the summer months off the west coast of Vancouver Island as a commercial fisherman, and painting in winter.11 A member of the Wai-wai-kum band of the Kwakiutl of Campbell River, British Columbia, Henderson often depicts tribal myths in his artwork. On “Grizzly Bear’s Feast,” Henderson writes, “the grizzly bear is the most dangerous and fearsome animal known to the Kwagiulth people. Even the killer whales fear his presence. He appears in both the TSKEA and TLA’SALA in the Potlatch. The grizzly bear is a family crest of mine.” “Eagle’s Prey” also resonates with spiritual power, “in the Kwakiutl mythology the eagle was the first bird to be recognized among the sky beings. His down feathers are used in the KLASILA as a symbol of peace. The dancers’ headdresses are filled with eagle down before the ceremony, and as the dancers perform, it is spread about the crowd.” 10 NATIVE AMERICAN ART COLLECTION Thunderbird Barry Herem, 1941 Befitting of its name, formline art is composed of continuous lines that grow and shrink in a curving manner. After training in formline techniques and studying its history under Bill Holm, Barry Herem went on to develop a body of work that renews and extends these design formulas. Like many of his pieces, Thunderbird is “based on traditional styles of Northwest Coast Indian art, which originates from the British Columbian and Southeast Alaskan coastlines.” On “Thunderbird,” Herem writes, “[It was] a joy to create … like much of my art, it is also replete with modern variations, primarily with the addition of clouds, rain and lightning.” Herem works in metal, glass, and wood sculpture, as well as print, jewelry, photography, and poetry.12 11 BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION Vision Seekers Virgil “Smoker” Marchand A member of the Lakes Band of the Colville Confederated Tribes, Virgil Marchand lives on the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington state.

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