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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.”

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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

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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. Working weekdays as a planner for the Colville Tribal Planning Department, Marchand still finds time to create art. Whether designing logos, illustrating children’s books, or creating commissioned sculptures, much of Marchand’s work reflects his interest in nature and history. Marchand was given the name, “Spa’-Poule,” meaning smoke, by his grandmother. Though his work is deeply influenced by his surroundings, it took a new setting to get Marchand started as an artist — the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “I believe the environment, along with some great, influential Indian artists brought out the talent I had within myself and never realized I had as a troubled youth … and gave me confidence to create my feelings and visions on canvas.”

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Salmon Spirit I

Salmon Spirit III Blazing Sun and Protector Salmon Spirit

Ramon Murillo, 1956

A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Ramon Murillo was born in Idaho and now lives in Bellingham, Washington. Combining “tribal and personal symbols” at the heart of his images, Murillo explores contemporary themes while revealing the importance of nature and reflecting on Native American lifestyles. 13 Murillo works in print media, including creating a body of pieces with the Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts, and drum making. He is also a print instructor at the studio. His work has been exhibited across the country, notably at the Portland and Seattle Art museums. 14

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Blackout (silver)

Whiteout Blackout (bronze)

Jenene Nagy, 1975

Living and working in Southern California, Jenene Nagy has exhibited work nationally and internationally, in addition to curating Portland’s Disjecta Contemporary Art Center, serving on the board of Art Papers magazine and teaching painting. These lithographs were printed during Nagy’s residency at the Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts in 2011. 15

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Out of the Mist

Salmon Run Blue Reflections

Marvin Oliver, 1946

“My works are formulated by merging the spirit of past traditions with those of the present … to create new horizons for the future.” Marvin Oliver works in print and sculpture as well as teaching a variety of courses — from art history to studio classes. He has also served as a Native American representative (his heritage is Quinault/Isleta-Pueblo) in several international programs and festivals. His art reinterprets both “formline design [and] southern Coast Salish imagery.” 16

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Owl Dance Rabbit Dance

Round Dance Lively Conversation

Lillian Pitt, 1944

Lillian Pitt grew up on the Warm Springs Reservation in Central Oregon, with her mother’s Wasco family living near the now-submerged Celilo Falls and her father’s Yakama relations across the river from the pictograph of Tsagaglalal (She Who Watches). While surrounded by powerful reminders of those before her, Pitt’s identity was nonetheless a reflection of our nation’s complicated and sometimes painful history. Reflecting later, Pitt says that her family, “never spoke about it … it was better for our survival to try and cover up the fact that we were Indian.” Fortunately, Lillian Pitt, like many of the artists represented here, strove beyond these limitations. Her hand-built raku and anagama fired ceramic masks are now internationally celebrated works. In these, she explores motifs of Native American art while remaining untied to any particular tradition.

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Red Hawk Mountain Dancer

Cougar Mother Copper Woman Chinook Man

Lillian Pitt (continued)

Pitt’s works are a vehicle for her responses to wider social and political issues as well as more intimate ones. “I know it sounds like a romantic notion, but deep down, I wish my work would make everyone feel better.” Pitt continues to work in ceramics as well as bronze sculpture and prints, including her collaborative print with James Lavadour. Pitt also continues to reinterpret the pictographs, petroglyphs, and legends of her ancestors, incorporating them into her visual language.17

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Huckleberry Picker

Apolonia Susana Santos, 1954– 2006

Apolonia Susana Santos began making art at age 15 while growing up in Warm Springs, Oregon. She was greatly influenced by her artist brother, and in the wake of his early death she chose to carry on his work, enrolling in the San Francisco Art Institute and later graduating with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from the Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC). She began to question the social structure of native society, and through her artwork, sought to combine the driving forces of her life into a single tool for social change, saying, “I want to project the tragedy as well as triumphs of our people and also reflect the women’s and children’s struggles.”

After graduating from OCAC, Santos returned to Warm Springs, where she served as a cultural liaison for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. 18 She established the Kah-Nee-Ta Gallery of Art at the High Desert Resort and Casino, and co-founded a native youth pre-college summer arts program at OCAC with fellow artist and master weaver Pat Courtney Gold. Through these programs Santos expanded the opportunities for native artists, cultivating a community of support and exchange. After her passing in 2013, the legacy of Apolonia Susana Santos lives on in her works and her continuing impact on the lives of youth, some local, some journeying all the way from New Zealand, to attend her OCAC program, memorialized as the A. Susana Santos Journeys in Creativity program. 19 18 NATIVE AMERICAN ART COLLECTION

Raven and Cedar Whale Rider

Cathy Schick, 1949

Although Cathy Schick is not of Native American descent, she is deeply inspired by the work of Tlingit and Haida woodcarvers, and appropriates some of these aesthetics into her practice. She studied under fellow Seattle resident Jay Haavik. Haavik creates works of art in the Pacific Northwest Coast Indian styles that are rooted in mythology and themes of nature. Schick works in print and carved wood sculpture. 20

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Ballerina

Sara Siestreem, 1976

Another past resident of Crow’s Shadow (during which time she created a body of work titled COLLECTIONS (how is your heart?), Siestreem’s artwork collages the past and present together in conversation. She works in several mediums, including expressive abstract paintings and prints and basket weaving. A member of the Hanis Coos, Siestreem explores topics such as cultural appropriation and, through her weaving, the de-valuing and marginalization of indigenous craft as “non-art.” 21

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Raven totem

Don Smith (Chief Lelooska), 1933–1996

Though of Cherokee descent, Don Smith made it his life’s work to engage in Native American cultures and traditions across the country. Smith was given the name Lelooska, “He Who Cuts Against Wood with a Knife,” when he was adopted into the Nez Perce Tribe at the age of 12. Learning to carve from his mother, Smith went on to create a dynamic body of work and continues to inspire others through the Lelooska Museum and Foundation in Ariel, Washington.

Smith’s Raven Totem is shorter than most, at eight feet, but powerful beyond its size. Illustrating the stories of animals native to the Pacific Northwest in the Haida style with traditional tools, the pole is made of western red cedar that was darkened by the eruption of Mount St. Helens. At the top, the sun is shown with an eagle’s face. Beneath the sun is Raven, who brought the sun to the world, giving it light. The human face on the totem represents the fact that Raven is the creator of man. Below man is Bear, who is highly respected and considered the ancestor of certain clans. The bear holds a frog under his paw. Long ago there was a war between the Bear and Frog clans. The frogs were defeated, and because of their loss they have never grown big. 22

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Killer Whale

Fearon Smith (Chief Tsungani), 1948

As the younger brother of Don Smith, Fearon grew up surrounded by art. Their family began collecting indigenous artifacts from all over America in the 1960s and putting on educational performances, all with the goal of promoting Native American culture, its preservation and continuing relevance. Like his brother, Fearon Smith got an early start in the art of carving. In the Kwakiutl tribe of the Pacific Northwest, a woodcarver was revered as a man who made phantoms real. There are few master woodcarvers left, so Smith has learned much of his craft through independent research and exploration of the medium. His sculptures combine traditional rules with modern stylistic sensibilities to reveal the faces of deer, bear, and whale in wood. “When everything is working right, and all your muscles are working, it’s almost a magical experience,” says Smith. “A certain amount of the form is dictated by the characters … I think that the individuality that each carver brings to his work is very important, finding room for yourself within the old cultures, the old styles and restrictions.” 23

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Fancy Dancer Ceremonial Adornment Ed Thibodeau

“Fancy Dancer” is part of an extensive series of paintings Ed Thibodeau produced in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These paintings focus on clothing as an expression of nationality. Thibodeau’s inspiration for “Fancy Dancer” came from watching dancers in their brightly colored regalia at the Pendleton Roundup in Oregon. Thibodeau holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts, with post-graduate work at the University of California, Davis. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the Northwest.

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Hang on Heart! Jeremy Red Star Wolf

The print in BPA’s collection — “Hang on Heart!” — is one of a series Red Star Wolf produced during his residency at Crow’s Shadow. Titled “Firsts,” the series of lithographs is inspired by personal milestones, from his first elk kill, to his first painting, and his first son.24 Spending most of his life on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, east of Pendleton, Oregon, Jeremy Red Star Wolf is constantly engaged in his community and cultural roots — traditional slick-style dancing, coaching sports, racing horses, fishing and hunting. In March of 2016 he also became the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission chairman. 25

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Featured Collaborative Works

Untitled collaboration between James Lavadour and Lillian Pitt James Lavadour and Lillian Pitt

Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts founder James Lavadour produced a series of prints collaborating with artists at Crow’s Shadow, titled “Amongst Friends: A six artist collaboration.” This monotype, a collaboration between Lavadour and Lillian Pitt, merges Lavadour’s abstract landscape with Pitt’s stylized hieroglyphics. 26

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Untitled (amongst friends series) collaboration between James Lavadour and Joe Feddersen James Lavadour and Joe Feddersen

Another piece in the collaborative series, this monotype is the result of Lavadour’s collaboration with Joe Feddersen, in which we see the great combination of Feddersen’s electrical tower patterns with Lavadour’s vibrant backdrop. 27

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Footnotes

1 Andrews, Mark. “Dead or Alive? Anchorage artist sees life polarized between enlivening and deadening experience — the aesthetic and the anesthetic.” Anchorage: UA magazine, Winter 1984.

Further credit to the Anchorage Art Museum, accessible online at: https://www.anchoragemuseum.org.

2 Baer, April and Aaron Scott. “Rick Bartow, Stunning Northwest Artist, Dies at 69.” Oregon Public Broadcasting. April 5, 2016. Accessed online, September 20, 2016. http://www.opb.org/artsandlife/article/rick-bartow-northwest-artist-dies/.

3 Horse Capture, George. “Edward Curtis Shadow Catcher.” American Masters PBS. April 23, 2011. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http:// www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/edward-curtis-shadow-catcher/568/.

4 “Joe Feddersen About the Artists: Biography.” Froelick Gallery, Web. Accessed Sept. 13, 2016. http://www.froelickgallery.com/Artist-Info. cfm?ArtistsID=235&Collection=&info=CV&ppage=72.

5 Bannach, Chelsea. “Renowned Indian artist George Flett dies at 66.” The Spokesman-Review. Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Accessed online Sept. 29, 2016. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/feb/01/renowned-indian-artist-george-flett-dies-at-66/.

6 Greene, Candace S. Silver Horn: Master Illustrator of the Kiowas. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2002.

7 McNutt Complo, Jennifer and Ashley Holland. “George Flett (Spokane tribe, 1946 – 2013).” Eiteljorg Museum Blog. Accessed online Sept. 29, 2016. https://www.eiteljorg.org/interact/blog/eitelblog/2015/01/02/new-art-2.0-george-flett-(spokane-tribe-1946---2013).

8 “George Flett.” MoNA Museum of Northwest Art. Accessed online Sept. 29, 2016. http://www.monamuseum.org/artist/george-flett.

9 “Gallery Artists: Carol Grigg.” Attic Gallery. Accessed online Sept. 30, 2016. atticgallery.com

10 “Featured Artist of the Week Carol Grigg – Native American Art AAA Native Arts. Accessed online Sept. 29, 2016. https://www.aaanativearts. com/native-american-art/featured-artist-of-the-week-carol-grigg

11 “Mark Henderson.” Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery. Accessed online Sept. 30, 2016. coastalpeoples.com.

12 “Biography.” Barry Herem Northwest Coast Formline Artist. Accessed online Sept. 30, 2016. barryherem.com.

13 “Ramon Murillo Artist-In-Residence-2005.” Crow’s Shadow. Accessed online, Oct. 2, 2016. http://crowsshadow.org/artist/ramon-murillo/.

14 “About – Ramon Murillo Fine Arts.” Accessed online, Oct. 2, 2016. http://ramonmurillo.com/about/.

15 “Jenene Nagy”. Accessed online, Oct. 2nd 2016. http://jenenenagy.com/home.html.

16 “Stonington Gallery Artist: Marvin Oliver.” Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http://www.stoningtongallery.com/artistselect. php?fn=Marvin&ln=Oliver&artist=17&artType=0&topic=bio.

17 “Lillian Pitt: Her Journey as a Native American Artist.” Web. Accessed Sept. 13, 2016. http://www.lillianpitt.com.

18 Pacific Northwest Native American Art: Apolonia Susana Santos.” Web. Accessed Sept. 12, 2016. http://www.apoloniasusanasantos.com/ index.html.

19 “A. Susana Santos Journeys in Creativity”. Oregon Cultural Trust Blog. Web, published June 6, 2013. Accessed September 12, 2016. http://culturaltrust.org/blog/success-stories/susana-santos-journeys-creativity/.

20 “Jay Haavik.” Jay Haavik — Master Carver. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http://www.jayhaavik.com.

21 Martin, Haley. “Weaving Back to Roots.” 1859 Magazine. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. https://www.1859oregonmagazine.com/art-culture/ sara-siestreem.

“Bio – Siestreem.” Augen Gallery. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http://www.augengallery.com/Artists_bio/bio_siestreem.html.

22 “About Chief Lelooska.” Lelooska Foundation. Accessed Online Oct. 2, 2016. http://lelooska.org/about/chief/.

23 Baker, Dean. “Lelooska family helps keep Native traditions alive in Ariel, Washington.” Oregonlive. Aug. 6, 2015. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2013/08/lelooska_family_helps_keep_nat.html.

“About The Lelooska Family.” Lelooska Foundation Living History Programs. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http://lelooska.org/about/about- the-lelooska-family/.

24 “Jeremy Red Star Wolf Artist in Residence, 2006, 2008.” Crow’s Shadow. Accessed online Oct. 1, 2016. http://crowsshadow.org/artist/ jeremy-red-star-wolf/.

25 FiveCrows, Jeremy. “Meet the New CRITFC Chairman Jeremy Red Star Wolf.” Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. March 3, 2016. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http://www.critfc.org/blog/2016/03/03/meet-new-critfc-chairman-jeremy-red-star-wolf/.

26 “Collaboration: Lavadour/Pitt.” Crow’s Shadow. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http://crowsshadow.org/print/collaboration-lavadourpitt/.

27 “Collaboration: Lavadour/Fedderson.” Crow’s Shadow. Accessed online Oct. 2, 2016. http://crowsshadow.org/print/untitled-lavadour- feddersen/. www.bpa.gov

BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION DOE/BP-4776 • October 2016