National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum | August 27, 2022-May 1, 2023 | Oklahoma City, OK

Changing the Narrative of the American West

A unique display of Indigenous Northwest Coast art at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum will challenge our perceptions of Western culture.

Opening August 27 is the thrilling exhibition Art of the Northwest Coast, with contemporary pieces pulled from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s permanent collection, along with a recently acquired 147-piece grouping from the Richard Walker collection. The museum notes that the exhibition has depth and beauty unlike anything else and is “not all that typical for most of our visitors,” says Eric D. Singleton, curator of ethnology. Indigenous art from the Northwest holds a unique place in the Americas, and is known for its deep symbolism, narrative and distinctive style.

Glen Rabena (Haida), Bowl,1985, cedar. Gift from the Collection of Richard Walker. Courtesy of National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

The Richard Walker collection, making up most of the exhibition, includes contemporary works like wood bowls, horn spoons, baskets, pipes and sculptures, to name just a few. “This actually filled a very significant gap in our Northwest Coast collection here at the museum,” says Singleton. “Although it occupies a large portion of the Western landscape, Northwest Coast artwork is often pushed aside in favor of narratives driven by Great Plains cultures. This exhibition will help contextualize and frame Northwest Coast artwork within the larger Western heritage umbrella, which may push the boundaries of what people think fits into the American West narrative.”

Wooden objects in particular, ranging from bowls and bentwood boxes to highly detailed totems and masks, are incredibly indicative of Northwest Coast art, and therefore, quite special. In discussing an intricately designed cedar piece, aptly titled Bowl, Singleton says, “It’s critical to showcase this kind of work. The Northwest Coast is a rainforest, and with cultures so often dictated by environment, it’s not surprising that so much of the artwork is inspired by the landscape and the wood.”

Christian White (Haida), Human and Animal Effigy Pipe, 1987, argillite, ivory and abalone. Gift from the Collection of Richard Walker. Courtesy National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Another highly detailed and significant piece in the exhibition is the Human and Animal Effigy Pipe by Christian White (Haida). “You’re almost looking at a narrative here,” Singleton explains. “This is a transformational and folkloric piece that often connects to the supernatural realm. You see a person coming out of the mouth of a whale, and you also see a frog and a thunderbird on the reverse side.”

Also included in the exhibition will be serigraphs like Mark Henderson’s (Kwakwaka’wakw) Eagle and Sisiuti, a piece that Singleton describes as a “classic Northwest style of artwork often seen in totems and tattoos,” he says. “There’s a statement that goes with this kind of art, which is what makes contemporary art so wonderful. You miss a lot of context in historic pieces because there wasn’t text, or it wasn’t known.”

The print was published as a memorial to Henderson’s father Sam Henderson, and was released at the time of the memorial potlatch for Sam held in Campbell River. “A totem pole carved by Sam’s sons was raised and unveiled at the ceremony,” reads the artist statement (provided by Pacific Editions). “The central figures on the pole were also the Eagle and Sisiutl which were crest figures owned by the family. The Sisiutl, a symbol of power and wealth, was owned by both Sam and his wife’s families and the Eagle was a crest given to Sam by his wife.

Mark Henderson (Kwakwaka’wakw), Eagle and Sisiuti, 1984, serigraph. Arthur and Shifra Silberman Collection. Courtesy of National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

In more playful works of art, we see Andy Everson’s (K’ómoks and Kwakwaka’wakw) serigraph Resilience, that features a Star Wars figure that speaks to contemporary culture and tradition. “When I think about my grandparents,” says the artist, “my mind turns to thoughts of resilience. I try to imagine what they went through during their lives and the struggles that they faced. They survived the great flu epidemic of a century ago and witnessed the increasing marginalization of Indigenous peoples in our own lands. They persevered through the illegality of the potlatch (a ceremony of gift giving) and came through on the other side disappointed, but still eager to teach their children the ways of their ancestors…They were the very epitome of resilience.”

The exhibition will be displayed through May 1, 2023. Singleton encourages people to take in the beauty, elegance and diversity of the unique art of the Northwest Coast.

August 27, 2022-May 1, 2023
Art of the Northwest Coast

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
1700 Northeast 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111
(405) 478-2250, www.nationalcowboymuseum.org