ARTS AND ARTISANS

Oregon is rich in many ways — not only in its famed natural beauty but also in arts and culture. Home to numerous Native artists and performers of various genres, these occupied lands provide a wealth of inspiration. Artwork is an integral means for Indigenous communities to celebrate and share their histories and ideologies, often weaving together the past and the present. For many, art serves a purpose that’s bigger than creating something inspiring. In a post-contact world, Native art was central to survival. Today it is a form of storytelling, connecting people with their roots and environment. Here are just a few examples of the many talented, impactful Native artists working in Oregon today.

ROBERTA JOY KIRK

After losing much of her family’s regalia and other cherished possessions in a house fire, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs member H’Klumaiyat Roberta Kirk undertook the task of learning to make her own heirlooms. Her expertise and passion are evident in her impeccably detailed beadwork and leatherwork. Kirk has garnered several accolades, including the Governor’s Arts Award in 2020, and her work is featured in ceremonies and powwows around the state. Through apprenticeships, Kirk shares traditional designs from her Tenino and Wasq’u culture. Now younger generations are also learning from her wealth of knowledge: Kirk currently teaches her granddaughters and community members beadwork, promotes cultural continuity, and advocates for the preservation of Native heritage.

ANTHONY HUDSON

A master of connecting creative work with activism, Anthony Hudson highlights their Two-Spirit identity throughout their performances. Two-Spirit people have long been recognized and honored in Native communities, where they hold a sacred place and are considered balance keepers. Hudson, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, balances their life as an award-winning artist, writer, drag-queen performer and filmmaker. Performing as drag clown Carla Rossi, Hudson confronts difficult issues with humor and laughter to create, they say, a more relatable and empathetic environment. “Radical honesty” is the goal for Hudson as they dive into myriad challenging topics such as white supremacy, complacency and mixed identities. In character, Hudson also co-hosts the weekly Gaylords of Darkness podcast.

Baskets by Bud Lane III

BUD LANE III

Fine basketry requires a tempering of beautiful artwork with utilitarian design. Bud Lane III, a member of the Siletz Tribe who honors his people’s history through intricate basketmaking, stresses the importance of cultural preservation and maintaining the skill sets of traditional arts as we lose more and more traditional makers. Lane’s teaching emphasizes gathering and weaving, skills the Siletz people mastered for infant cradles, traditional mats, cooking and eating purposes, as well as in ceremony. Lane’s basketry has won several awards for both authenticity and sheer beauty.

KA’ILA FARRELL-SMITH

Working from her ancestral Klamath/Modoc tribal homelands in Modoc Point, Ka’ila Farrell-Smith creates new connections between Indigenous art forms and contemporary visual art, exploring “the space in between the Indigenous and western paradigms,” she writes. Her Land Back series of 27 abstract paintings uses wild-harvested pigments from Klamath lands and found objects to reinterpret Native American imagery and offer a matrix for resiliency and transformation. Farrell-Smith’s work is on display at museums across North America, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the permanent collection of the Portland Art Museum. She is a faculty member of Indigenous Nations and Native American Studies at Portland State University.

BILL MURPHY

Known in his community as White Buffalo, Bill Murphy has been blowing glass for nearly 20 years, uniting his exceptional Italian glassblowing technique with his Native American culture. A member of the Coquille Indian Tribe, Murphy studied under several world-renowned glass sculptors before opening his shop, Oregon Coast Glassworks, in the scenic fishing community of Newport. His stunning vases, sculptures, paperweights and other works showcase his talent and honor his heritage. Murphy also offers classes to share his passion and expert techniques.

JAMES LAVADOUR

Internationally renowned painter James Lavadour has been an artist for more than 40 years. The self-taught landscape painter and printmaker from the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla grew up in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, home to diverse plant and animal life. His artwork is deeply rooted in the Eastern Oregon landscape. “The land and I are one,” says Lavadour, who sees his art as an extension of himself. His work has been exhibited throughout the world, including at Smithsonian Institution museums in Washington, D.C., the Heard Museum in Phoenix, and in the Venice Biennale. Lavadour co-founded the Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts near Pendleton in 1992. The studio’s collection (including items for sale) features the works of more than 45 past artists-in-residence.

“Predecessor Bundle” by Ka’ila Farrell-Smith

(48"x36", 2018)