Eiteljorg Museum Magazine Fall 2017

12TH ANNUAL

QUEST FOR THE WEST ® ART SHOW AND SALE

QUEST MINIATURE ART SALE: ART AT A CONVENIENT SIZE

COMING IN OCTOBER: DAY OF THE DEAD AND OUT WEST™

CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ART IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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NEWS AND NOTES

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Gund Lecture examines early 19th century depictions of Native Americans in art

Quest for the West ® marks the start of a lively season at Eiteljorg

By James H. Nottage, vice president and chief curatorial officer and Gund curator of western art, history and culture

Friends, The summer has seen a whirlwind of excitement at the Eiteljorg Museum. The 25th annual Indian Market and Festival was a real milestone, bringing more than 100 Native American artists and thousands of visitors together for a weekend of art, music, dance and great food. We were pleased to see many old friends and celebrate Native art and expression.

The Sails, our outdoor shade structure overlooking the Canal, has gotten a workout this summer, attracting 20,000 visitors with musical performances, family activities and community events. Our annual Juneteenth celebration of freedom was a festive community cultural event.

And the Dogs: Faithful and True exhibition that closed Aug. 6 was a big hit with visitors of all ages.

We transition to the fall season with our 12th annual Quest for the West ® Art Show and Sale on Sept. 8-9, one of the top Western art events in the nation. This year, 49 of the nation’s most prominent Western artists will participate in Quest and offer stunning paintings and sculptures for the luck-ofthe-draw sale. Adding to the excitement is the first-ever Quest Miniature Art Sale on Friday night Sept. 8, where the artists challenge themselves to apply their amazing talents to creating smallerscale works.

Mary Peterson Zundo is a Ph.D. candidate in American Art History and Visual Culture at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign. On Oct. 14, she will present the Eiteljorg’s annual Gund Lecture in Western art in an exciting program titled Fantasia on the Prairie: Plains Warriors, Arabic Equestrians, and Art on the American Frontier, 1800-1850.

Fantasia on the Prairie will examine depictions of Native American equestrianism within the sociopolitical and multicultural contexts of colonial encounter in the American West, and American artistic exchange in post-Napoleonic France. Including art from the Eiteljorg collection, the lecture will explore the artistic, cultural and political contexts that informed paintings of the American West in the first half of the 19th century and their lasting impact on the ways in which artists depicted Native peoples.

A focal point for the lecture will be Snake Indians, an 1840 oil painting by American artist Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874), displayed in the Eiteljorg’s Gund Gallery of Western Art. “Snake Indians,” referenced in Miller’s title, was a term used by white travelers to describe members of the Shoshone, Bannock and Northern Paiute tribes of the Great Basin. This program has been made possible through a matching grant from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1844), Snake Indians, 1840, oil on canvas.

The Gund Collection of Western Art Gift of the George Gund Family

Gund Lecture Series Speaker: Mary Peterson Zundo Fantasia on the Prairie: Plains Warriors, Arabic Equestrians, and Art on the American Frontier, 1800-1850 Saturday, Oct. 14 1–2:30 p.m., Clowes Court Lecture is included with museum admission and is free for museum members

Consider the gift of museum membership It’s not too early to think about holiday shopping. Uncertain about a gift for that hard-to-shop-for person? Consider purchasing a gift membership to the Eiteljorg. Membership includes free access to the museum, plus invitations to fun special events such as exhibit openings, guest speakers and curator talks. Members enjoy many other benefits and a gift membership will provide someone a year of museum memories and experiences. To purchase a gift membership, call 317.275.1360 or visit www.eiteljorg.org.

Savor a delicious southwestern lunch at the Museum Café Complete your visit to the Eiteljorg by enjoying a delicious and convenient lunch at the Museum Café. With a beautiful view overlooking the Central Canal, the café offers a wide selection of southwestern cuisine. Pair a savory sandwich with one of the café’s freshly made soups or specialty salads. Or, try the café’s Mexican options, including quesadillas, tacos, nachos and tostadas. And if you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, grab a delectable cookie or a Ghirardelli brownie. The café serves a full menu Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and on Sundays from noon until 2:30 p.m. See the fall menu at www.eiteljorg.org/visit/dine.

On the cover: Jerry Jordan Footsteps in Footsteps Make Eternity 2017 Oil on canvas 40 x 40 inches

Eiteljorg Museum Magazine Volume 12, Number 3 President and CEO John Vanausdall Vice President for Advancement Nataly Lowder Membership Manager Sheila Jackson Director of Marketing and Communications Bert Beiswanger Design Honeymoon Image & Design Contributing Writers Bryan Corbin, Editor Johanna M. Blume James Nottage Kay Hinds Bert Beiswanger Emily Sabens Hyacinth Rucker Alisa Nordholt-Dean Contributing Photographers Hadley Fruits Photography P.A. Nisbet image courtesy of the artist Matthew Shepard image courtesy of Michele Josue Shawn Spence Eiteljorg Museum staff We welcome your feedback Comments or questions about Storyteller magazine: Call: 317. 275.1315 Email: bcorbin@eiteljorg.com

Museum information Eiteljorg Museum 500 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 www.eiteljorg.org (317) 636-9378

Tim Cherry Wise Guy, 2017 Highly polished stainless steel 16 x 6 x 5 inches

Part of the attraction of Quest for the West ® is the opportunity for artists and collectors to meet and socialize in a relaxed setting during opening weekend. It’s a pleasure to chat with artists who are colleagues and friends in the same field and to be inspired by the latest in contemporary Western art. We are enormously grateful to the Western Art Society, who in the early 2000s conceived a Western art show and sale at the Eiteljorg and who helped organize the first Quest in 2006, and those since.

Knowing how much Quest means to longstanding Eiteljorg

Eiteljorg President and CEO John Vanausdall, left, with Quest for the West ® Art Show and Sale co-chairs Gita Osborne, center, and Patty Gibbs, right.

In the background is the sculpture Southwest Summer Showers by Doug Hyde (Nez Perce, Chippewa and Assiniboine).

supporters, the Quest co-chairs and the Western Art Society have organized engaging activities for the opening weekend that will be accentuated

by Hoosier hospitality and fine food from Kahn’s catering. In all these events, we can’t say enough to thank our museum volunteers and staff who work tirelessly to execute all the details. The museum’s success is due in large part to their dedication.

Speaking of the tireless work of staff members, we offer a fond farewell to Amy McKune, the longtime director of collections, who left us recently to join a museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Through her diligence, Amy has ensured that the Eiteljorg’s collections of Western and Native American art are properly documented, conserved and preserved for future generations of visitors to enjoy.

So with autumn in sight, we hope you will join us for

Autumn 2017

Quest opening weekend events or visit the museum and experience the lovely Quest for the West ® show in the special exhibit gallery through Oct. 8. We hope to see you soon.

John Vanausdall President and CEO Gita Osborne Patty Gibbs Quest for the West ® co-chairs

At the Indian Market Preview Party June 23, artist Dana Warrington (Prairie Band Potawatomi/Menominee), left, won Best of Show for his beaded and quilled pipe bag, Family Traditions.

Eiteljorg President and CEO John Vanausdall, right, presented the award.

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COVER STORY

AMERICA’S TOP WESTERN ARTISTS RETURN TO INDY FOR QUEST FOR THE WEST ®

12TH ANNUAL

QUEST FOR THE WEST ® ART SHOW AND SALE OPENING WEEKEND SEP 8–9 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SEP 10–OCT 8 PRESENTED BY:

The Western Art Society

SPONSORED BY:

Deborah Copenhaver Fellows Where the Sun Goes, 2016 Bronze, 26 x 18 ½ x 11 inches

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Eiteljorg Museum Storyteller Magazine

Daniel Smith Deep Forest Descent, 2017 Acrylic, 20 x 20 inches

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he Eiteljorg again will be the center of the Western art universe Sept. 8-9 when prominent artists converge at the museum to offer striking new works depicting the grandeur of the American West. The 12th annual Quest for the West ® Art Show and Sale is a notto-be-missed opportunity for art collectors; and since the Quest art will be on exhibit through Oct. 8, visitors can experience the powerful beauty of the Western paintings and sculpture.

Considered one of the leading Western art shows in the nation for the quality of the art and exceptional hospitality, Quest for the West ® has elevated the Eiteljorg’s profile while connecting top Western artists and a base of longtime and new art collectors. The newly created Quest works feature dramatic landscapes and iconic scenes of cowboys, Native Americans, horses and bison depicted in a memorable era in the nation’s history, as well as in the West of today.

“We’re thrilled by the popularity of the Quest show among visitors who come to the Eiteljorg specifically to see the contemporary realist Western art,” Eiteljorg President

Robert Griffing On the Banks of the Alleghenies, 2017 Oil on linen, 24 x 40 inches

and CEO John Vanausdall said. “Our museum’s Western Art Society was visionary in advocating for creating Quest in 2006 to bring beautiful new works to the Eiteljorg each year.”

At Quest, 49 artists will show nearly 200 recent works not exhibited previously. Returning artists include longtime participants Michael Dudash, Robert Griffing, Curt Mattson, P.A. Nisbet and Roseta Santiago among others. Six artists are making their first Quest appearances: Russell Case, Rox Corbett, Deborah

Copenhaver Fellows, David Grossmann, Mark Maggiori and Tim Solliday. Nisbet is the Quest Artist of Distinction, and a special exhibit of his work opens Sept. 8 in the Paul Gallery.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, potential buyers can mingle with artists and enjoy paintings and sculptures in the special exhibit gallery while entering their names into a luck-of-thedraw lottery for the chance to purchase pieces. By longstanding Eiteljorg tradition, a trumpeter playing a fanfare

David Grossmann Summer Dusk Patterns, 2017 Oil on linen panel, 30 x 40 inches

Autumn 2017

marks the start and end of each interval to enter the drawing. The collector drawn first has the option to purchase a piece. If he or she declines, the work is offered to the next name drawn until a buyer accepts.

An exciting weekend of Quest-related events awaits.

Registered Quest guests can enjoy an afternoon open house Friday Sept. 8 at Cathy and Bob Turner’s Zionsville home to see Western art in context, followed by the Quest Miniature Art Sale that evening at the museum; and then a gala opening Saturday Sept. 9, with dinner by Kahn’s Catering. For reservations, contact khinds@eiteljorg.com or (317) 275-1341. Curt Mattson created this year’s Eiteljorg Keepsake that Quest attendees can enter to win.

At last year’s Quest for the West ®, nearly $1 million in art was sold. The museum keeps a percentage of art sales to support its operations and to acquire the Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award artwork.

Quest art can be viewed in advance of the sale at www.quest.eiteljorg.org. Works not sold opening weekend are available for purchase until Oct. 8, when the exhibition closes.

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QUEST FOR THE WEST®

Quest for the West ® 2017 artists Gerald Balciar* Dan Bodelson John Buxton G. Russell Case Bruce Cheever Tim Cherry* Rox Corbett Deborah Copenhaver Fellows* Glenn Dean Steve Devenyns Mikel Donahue Michael Dudash Barry Eisenach* Josh Elliott Tony Eubanks John Fawcett Robert Griffing David Grossmann Logan Maxwell Hagege George Hallmark Karin Hollebeke Terry Isaac Jerry Jordan Greg Kelsey* Francois Koch

Mark Maggiori Curt Mattson* Joseph McGurl Krystii Melaine Denis Milhomme Jay Moore John Moyers Brenda Murphy Rock Newcomb P.A. Nisbet Robert Peters Howard Post Heide Presse Scott Rogers* Gladys Roldan-de-Moras Roseta Santiago Sandy Scott* Adam Smith Daniel Smith Nathan Solano Tim Solliday Andy Thomas Curt Walters H. David Wright

New artists listed in italics

*Sculptors

Quest Miniature Art Sale appealing to new and longtime collectors

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ome beginning art collectors fell in love with art they saw at Quest for the West ® but the price was beyond their pocketbook.

Some experienced art collectors had the financial means but not the room in their art-filled homes to acquire yet another large framed painting or major sculpture.

The Eiteljorg heard the pleas of John Moyers both camps and devised a lively Dakota Badlands Study, 2017 Oil and affordable solution at this 12 x 12 inches year’s Quest for the West ® Art Show and Sale: offer miniatures.

The museum asked Quest artists to create small works that would be more affordable and take up less space. In doing so, the separate miniatures show will generate more competition among the collectors and more overall excitement during Quest weekend.

In addition to the works each Quest artist is entering into the main show, most are also entering new miniatures they’ve created, one per artist. Paintings will typically be no larger than 12-by-12 inches. Sculptures should be 8 inches or smaller.

The miniatures will be available in Eagle Commons in a fixedprice, luck-of-the-draw sale Friday evening Sept. 8.

Unlike the main Quest works which must remain on exhibit until Oct. 8 before purchasers receive them, at the Quest Miniature Art Sale, buyers can take home their newly-prized art that evening. Guests who can’t attend both nights of events can still attend the Sept. 8 miniatures sale only, for the reduced price of $75 per individual or $125 per couple. Contact khinds@eiteljorg.com or 317.275.1341 to make reservations.

NAVAJO RUG AUCTION SEP 30

9 a.m.–11 a.m. Preview | 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Auction There’s nothing like a live auction.

Join us for the only Midwest auction conducted by the R.B. Burnham & Co. Trading Post auctioneer.

There’s something here for everyone!

STORE HOURS MON–SAT: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

SUN: Noon to 5 p.m.

317.275.1300 | 800.878.7978 store@eiteljorg.com @Eiteljorg.Store

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P.A. Nisbet Beneath the Blue Moon Bench, 2012 Oil on linen, 30 x 42 inches 2012 Quest for the West Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award

Eiteljorg Museum Storyteller Magazine

LIGHT, SPACE, AND POWER: THE ART OF P.A. NISBET Special exhibit of the Quest for the West ® Artist of Distinction

Sublime landscapes showcased in Light, Space, and Power: The Art of P.A. Nisbet

SEP 10–NOV 19 Gerald and Dorit Paul Gallery

By Johanna M. Blume, associate curator of Western art, history and culture.

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or more than 40 years, Peter A. Nisbet has been a student of fine art, and in the last two decades has received national recognition as a master of the American landscape. In honor of his selection as the 2016 Quest for the West ® Artist of Distinction, the Eiteljorg is excited to present an exhibition of his works: Light, Space, and Power: The Art of P.A. Nisbet, which is open to the public from Sept. 10 to Nov. 19. Nisbet’s paintings communicate the extraordinary and often extreme beauty of the American West. He travels extensively, working on location in places such as the Grand Canyon, the deserts of the United States and Mexico, the Gulf of California and Antarctica.

Each trip is an adventure, full of experiences he captures in paint.

Nisbet’s mother introduced him to art as a child, and he has spent his life honing his skills. A graduate of the

University of North Carolina, he is a former U.S. Navy officer with service in Vietnam.

After leaving the Navy, he spent several years as a successful commercial illustrator and graphic designer in the East.

In 1980 Nisbet realized he was ready for a change, so he moved from West Virginia to Arizona.

“One afternoon, it was one of those blue days where the sky is clear and the jets are leaving long contrails; and this jet was heading west,” he recalled. “The sun was low and it was picking up the contrail overhead. I had this vision, this flash . . . . It was the West. It just flooded in, like God. I just (thought), ‘I’ve got to go.’ It was like a wakeup call: ‘Wake up, sell your house, leave, go. It’s waiting; your future’s waiting.’”

Nisbet’s paintings blend technical mastery with emotional depth. Each finished work contains a piece of the

truth of Peter’s experiences as an artist and explorer. He releases them to the world where he hopes viewers see, understand and connect that truth to their own lives. There also is a spiritual dimension to his paintings. While rooted in the realist tradition of 19th century artists such as Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran, and European masters such J.M.W. Turner and Rembrandt van Rjin, Nisbet doesn’t set out to recreate Western landscapes exactly as they exist.

He seeks to convey their inherent drama and beauty, to elevate the raw power of the natural world and capture something of the sublime.

“For me the Western landscape best speaks in a language of the possible; the language of the horizon,” Nisbet wrote. “Art that embraces the drama of a journey bears witness to a larger narrative that is distinctly American. I travelled Autumn 2017

to the deserts because that is where I heard the voice most clearly. It is a voice I also recognize in paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Those works celebrate the universals: beauty, space and light. These things are apparent in Western locales such as the Sonoran Desert and the Grand Canyon. Every painting I ever did was the natural outcome of a quest both within myself and without. Every one of them springs from a pearl of direct experience. After almost 50 years of journeys, that string of pearls now resembles a necklace, and by definition, a life fully lived.”

Peter Nisbet’s extraordinary career and thoughtful perspective truly make him an artist of distinction.

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Calendar

Visit www.eiteljorg.org for details or call 317.275.1310 to register or purchase event tickets.

All events are included with general admission unless otherwise noted.

Parking is free when visiting the museum, café or museum store unless otherwise noted.

SEP 1

Saturdays

SEP 9, 16 & 23

1–4 p.m. Open Studio Artist-in-Residence Tim Blueflint Ramel (Bad River Chippewa/ Comanche) Meet musician and artist Tim Blueflint Ramel, internationally recognized for his handcrafted fine art, flutes and jewelry.

Sponsored by the Sunrise Foundation and The Margot L. and Robert S. Eccles Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation

Friday–Sunday

SEP 8–10

Friday

12th Annual Quest for the West Art Show and Sale Opening Weekend Join us for the opening weekend of a monthlong exhibition featuring new works by 49 of today’s best Western artists.

• Friday night, Sept. 8: Reception starting at 5 p.m. and miniatures sale (reservations only) • Saturday night, Sept. 9: Quest for the West ® Art Show and Sale and banquet (reservations only) • Sunday, Sept. 10: Special exhibit opens to the public, noon–5 p.m., and remains open through Oct. 8 in the featured exhibit gallery.

Reservations and fee required for opening weekend and sales events only.

4 p.m.–8 p.m.

Native American Art and Jewelry Sale Shop for vintage and contemporary jewelry to add to your collection or get appraisals from experts of R.B. Burnham & Co. Trading Post. Admission to this event is FREE. Heide Presse Home Is at the End of the Trail, 2017 Oil on linen panel, 36 x 27 inches

Artist Scott Rogers greeted Eiteljorg member Jackie Morris during 2016 Quest for the West ® opening weekend events. To meet Quest artists and participate in opening weekend, or to become an absentee buyer, contact 317.275.1341 or khinds@eiteljorg.com.

SEP 16

SPONSORED BY:

SEP 29

®

Saturday

10 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Symposium: Water is Life: Native Peoples of the Great Lakes Through a symposium to analyze how water shaped the history of Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes region, this program will create a dialogue with the broader community to discover shared values centered upon water.

Admission to this event is FREE.

Saturday

Sunday

9 a.m.–Noon Flute-Making Workshop Join artist and musician Tim Blueflint Ramel for this one-of-a-kind workshop.

Participants will create their own flutes and learn basic musical techniques. More info is at eiteljorg.org.

3 p.m.

An afternoon with Tim Blueflint Ramel Enjoy a captivating flute performance by Tim Blueflint Ramel. His music has been described as “traditionally fresh, soulful and reflective.”

SEP 16

SEP 17

We’re adding new programs and events all the time.

Visit www.eiteljorg.org and sign up for our e-newsletter to stay up to date on Eiteljorg Museum happenings.

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SEP 9, OCT 14, NOV 11

SEP 23

10 a.m.–5 p.m.

WestFest See the West come alive. Try authentic chuckwagon grub, pan for gold, see a blacksmithing demonstration, compete in a stickhorse rodeo and enjoy Western swing and trickroping performances, stagecoach rides and games.

Included with museum admission; garage parking is free.

Friday

Noon–12:20 p.m.

Curator’s Choice Series: Nipi (Water): Native Expressions of Water Through Art Join Dr. Scott Shoemaker, Thomas G. and Susan C. Hoback curator of Native American art, history and culture, on the first Friday of September for a 20-minute discussion on native expressions of water through art.

Saturday

Eiteljorg Museum Storyteller Magazine

Saturday

SEP 30

9 a.m.–11 a.m. Preview 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Auction Navajo Rug Auction Navajo rugs in traditional and contemporary designs from the R.B. Burnham & Co. Trading Post in Arizona will be auctioned. For five generations, the Arizona-based Burnham family has been trading with and encouraging Native American artists in the Four Corners area of the West. Prices range from less than $100 to $10,000.

Friday

OCT 6

Noon–12:20 p.m.

Curator’s Choice Series: Quest for the Best at Quest for the West ® Join Johanna M. Blume, associate curator of western art, history and culture, on the first Friday of October for a 20-minute discussion on the quest for the best at Quest for the West ®.

Second Saturday Family Studio 2 –3 p.m.

Explore a theme in the museum’s galleries and make art.

This family-friendly experience is not to be missed.

Saturday

OCT 21

1 p.m.

Out West™ Programming Film screening: Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine followed by panel discussion with film director Michele Josue.

(See story, page 8) Sponsored by Ice Miller Saturday

OCT 28 Saturdays

OCT 7 & 21

1 – 4 p.m. Open Studio Artist-in-Residence DG House (Cherokee of Northeast Alabama) Meet DG House and learn about her art and Cherokee culture.

Saturday

OCT 14

1–2:30 p.m.

Gund Lecture Series Speaker: Mary Peterson Zundo Fantasia on the Prairie: Plains Warriors, Arabic Equestrians, and Art on the American Frontier, 1800-1850 Join scholar Mary Peterson Zundo for a humanities lecture examining how 19th century art depicted Native American equestrianism and shaped the ways U.S. citizens and Europeans envisioned Native peoples.

SPONSORED BY:

11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) Celebration Celebrate Día de los Muertos with Nopal Cultural, an Indianapolis Latino arts and culture organization. Watch performances, create art, shop at the Mercado (marketplace), revel in the Catrina parade, learn about the history of New Mexico tinwork from artist-in-residence Richard Gabriel Jr. and design your own tinwork to take home. Nopal’s Día de los Muertos Community Ofrenda (altar) exhibition will be on display and free to view Oct. 10–Nov. 2 in the Lilly Theatre.

Admission to this event is FREE. Sponsored by the Lopez Law Firm and The Penrod Society

Friday

Saturdays

Noon–12:20 p.m.

Curator’s Choice Series: Cut, Fold and Sew: The Miami, Potawatomi and Delaware Art of Ribbonwork Join Dr. Scott Shoemaker, the Thomas G. and Susan C. Hoback curator of Native American art, history and culture, for a 20-minute discussion on ribbonwork.

1–4 p.m. Open Studio Artist-in-Residence Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida) Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida) is an award-winning artist who creates traditional Iroquois raised beadwork.

NOV 3

Autumn 2017

NOV 11, 18 & 25

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Out West ™ film screening and discussion: Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine

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he Eiteljorg’s Out West programming series explores the positive contributions of the LGBT community to the history and cultures of the American West. In the next installment of that series, the museum on Oct. 21 will host a screening of the documentary Matt Shepard

is a Friend of Mine, followed by a panel discussion with the film’s director, Michele Josue, who also was a close friend of Shepard. The film relates the story of Matt’s life and the larger impact of the tragic and fatal hate crime on Oct. 6, 1998 against Matt, who was a gay freshman at the University of Wyoming.

Excerpt of statement by director Michele Josue: OUT WEST™ “The murder of Matthew AT THE EITELJORG Shepard was a devastating tragedy that made countless OCT 21 headlines around the world.

Saturday, 1 p.m.

As people denounced the hatred and senseless violence that caused Matthew’s death, a much-needed dialogue about hate crimes and intolerance against the LGBT community began and continues to this day. His tragic story brought the reality of inequality and vicious, irrational contempt into the public consciousness and set the stage for the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law in 2009.

“Though framed through a very personal lens, Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine tells a universal story that highlights the responsibility we have now to make sure young people around the world are not at risk of falling victim to the same story ending Matt was.”

Filmmaker Michele Josue is seen in this personal photograph with her childhood friend, Matthew Shepard. Josue is the director of a documentary film, Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine that will be screened at the Eiteljorg on Oct. 21 followed by a discussion with the director.

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DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION OCT 28 Saturday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

FREE Admission

Day of the Dead celebration brings community together

W

hat comes to mind when you conjure up images of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)? A somber memorial?

Gruesome Halloween ghouls?

Well, picture vibrant swirling color, lively music, dancing calavaras (skeletons), rhythmic sounds of hammers making punched tin treasures, laughter as children enjoy delightful papel picado (cut paper) creations, beautiful Catrinas dressed for a parade and elaborate ofrendas (altars) created to honor deceased loved ones. It’s all part of Nopal Cultural’s annual Día de los Muertos Celebration at the Eiteljorg Museum.

What is Día de los Muertos?

With roots going back thousands of years to indigenous traditions in Mexico, this holiday is a time to gather together to remember and celebrate friends and relatives who have passed on. Day of the Dead has evolved into a diverse festival, celebrated not only in Mexico but in the U.S.

Eiteljorg Museum Storyteller Magazine

and many other countries.

During this two-day holiday for honoring the dead, tradition holds that souls are allowed to return home and celebrate among the living, if only for a few short hours. Meanwhile, living relatives work hard to clean and decorate gravesites with fragrant, colorful cempasuchil (marigold) flowers and construct elaborate altars with photographs, food and drink. Some communities even hold townwide festivals culminating in parades and special dances.

Join us in celebration Join Nopal Cultural and the Eiteljorg in celebration on Saturday, Oct. 28. Because this is a special holiday, museum admission will be free to everyone on that date.

Festivities include dance performances, art-making, a mercado (marketplace), music, ofrendas, a Catrina parade, artist-in-residence Richard Gabriel, Jr., who specializes in Spanish Colonial tinwork and so much more. The event is sponsored by the Lopez Law Firm and The Penrod Society.

Contemporary art in the spotlight in months ahead

By Bryan Corbin, editor

F

all is an exciting time for Native American contemporary art at the Eiteljorg.

Two ongoing exhibitions, In Their Honor and The Geometry of Expression, examine the work of several Native contemporary artists. These are prelude to one of the most important contemporary art shows the Eiteljorg has ever staged: Native Art Now!, opening Veterans Day weekend.

The current and upcoming exhibitions exemplify the broad continuum of Native expression, often with conceptual pieces, upending the notion that Native art is narrow in its mediums and styles.

“We in Indianapolis can be proud of the fact that

the Eiteljorg has one of the nation’s best collections of contemporary Native art, and visitors over coming months can experience many intriguing examples of works by today’s artists,” Eiteljorg President and CEO John Vanausdall said.

Located in the Hurt and Harvey galleries, In Their Honor pays homage to five influential Native contemporary artists, now deceased, who were past fellows in the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship.

Visitors will be engaged by the expressive sculptures by Allan Houser, poignant paintings and prints from George Morrison and Harry Fonseca, animal-human transformational figures by John Hoover and

compelling paintings and sculptures by Rick Bartow. All five artists were groundbreakers whose works were exhibited in numerous museums and universities and who opened doors to the art world for a new generation of contemporary Native artists.

Produced by Jennifer Complo McNutt, Eiteljorg curator of contemporary art, In Their Honor will be on exhibit through April 1, 2018.

Nearby in the museum’s Myrta Pulliam Gallery of Photography, prints by three living Eiteljorg Fellows — Kay WalkingStick, Anna Tsouhlarakis and Wendy Red Star — use geometry (Continued on page 12)

THE GEOMETRY OF EXPRESSION

Myrta Pulliam Gallery of Photography Through January 7, 2018

Works by five artists who participated in the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship are now part of the In Their Honor exhibition in the Hurt and Harvey galleries.

IN THEIR HONOR Hurt & Harvey galleries Through April 1, 2018

Featuring works of: Allan Houser (Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache), 1914—1994 George Morrison (Grand Portage Band Ojibwe), 1919—2000 Harry Fonseca (Nisenan Maidu/Hawaiian/ Portuguese), 1946—2006 John Hoover (Aleut), 1919—2011 Rick Bartow (Wiyot), 1946—2016

Featuring works of: Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee Nation) Anna Tsouhlarakis (Navajo) Wendy Red Star (Crow)

Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee Nation) Wallowa Memory, 2003 Lithograph Gift: Courtesy of the artist

Autumn 2017

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PLANNED GIVING

Find the planned giving option that works best for you

ARIZONA

By the Storyteller Editorial Board

W

hat prompts people to create a legacy at the Eiteljorg Museum? Our longtime supporters cite many motivations. One patron might be an enthusiast of Western or Native American art who hopes to foster acquisitions of such art. Another might support Eiteljorg educational programming and special exhibits. Still another might enjoy the fun and camaraderie of special events and exhibit openings.

Whatever the reason, the legacy they create ensures future generations will experience an appreciation for the Eiteljorg and everything it has to offer.

You too can create a legacy today. You have options that can be aligned to a variety of financial situations. If you want to keep the momentum going for many years to come, there are several ways you can structure a planned gift to the museum’s endowment. Such gifts build the principal of the endowment and thus support the museum’s operations years into the future in areas you are passionate about.

Including a bequest to the museum in a will is one

good choice, particularly if it’s a specified amount for an unrestricted use. Other less familiar approaches include donating to the museum through a life insurance policy or leaving a gift of real estate.

For example, you could name the Eiteljorg as your life insurance beneficiary. Or, you could make a gift of the life insurance policy itself. By transferring ownership of the policy, you can support the Eiteljorg while also receiving a charitable donation for the policy’s value and any premium payments made.

The best way to work through your thoughts and ideas is to speak with Nataly Lowder, our vice president for advancement. She can show you the museum’s direction and share various options available before you meet with your financial advisor or estate attorney. The Eiteljorg Museum would like to help make your legacy become a reality.

Contact Nataly at 317.275.1311 or nlowder@eiteljorg.com today to learn how to create your legacy.

Farewell to a valued colleague

By James H. Nottage, vice president and chief curatorial officer and Gund curator of western art, history and culture

A ARIZONA ADVENTURE AWAITS FOR EITELJORG’S EAGLE SOCIETY OCT 3–9 If you love to travel and enjoy the beautiful art, history and cultures of the American Southwest, then don’t miss our next Eagle Society trip with exciting stops in Arizona, such as: • Stunning views of the red rock cliffs of Sedona • Preview of the T.C. Cannon exhibition at the Heard Museum in Phoenix • Tours of renowned Western artists’ studios • Tours of home collections of prominent art collectors • Exquisite dining at Arizona’s best restaurants, and luxury accommodations • Socializing with Eagle Society members who share your love of Western and Native American art.

Spaces on the 25-seat tour are filling up, so contact Nataly Lowder at 317.275.1311 or nlowder@eiteljorg.com for more details. For Eagle Society members, the tour price is $7,200 per couple or $4,600 per individual.

WESTFEST SEP 23 Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Experience the sights, sounds and tastes of the West.

Enjoy a day of Western family fun that includes cowboys, a chuckwagon, panning for gold and more. Included with museum admission.

More at www.eiteljorg.org.

my McKune is a firstclass museum professional who for 13 years has provided significant leadership in the management and care of the Eiteljorg collections. She has directed huge projects including creation of our computerbased collection records, the transformation of collections storage and the packing, shipping and processing of the Kersting, Adams and other collections. The imprint she has left on the Eiteljorg will be long-lasting, but as of midJuly, Amy has left us to begin a new phase of her career as curator of collections for the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City, Missouri.

As director of museum collections for the Eiteljorg, Amy has worked with staff at all levels, operated the boardbased Collections Council, nurtured and taught dozens of undergraduate and graduate student interns, interacted with donors and contractors and devoted herself to every exhibit and publication project since 2004. The museum’s success at acquiring, installing and filling new storage units, improving flooring, ceilings, fire-suppression systems and

Amy McKune

security has benefited from her skillful development of grant applications to support these projects. Significant progress on the conservation assessment and treatment of key art and artifacts in the collection is an accomplishment that anyone in the field would be proud of.

There is so much more that Amy has done for the museum, but more than anything, she has been an effective partner in the growth and maturation of the Eiteljorg. Her chapter in the institution’s history is an important one. Thank you, Amy, and best wishes for your personal next chapter!

Perfect weather June 24 and 25 made for an exciting weekend at the 25th annual Indian Market and Festival. Thousands of visitors met artists and performers from 60 Native American tribes. Crowds enjoyed the art and food as well as the music and dance performances, including world-champion hoop dancer and flute player Tony Duncan (Apache/ Arikara/Hidatsa).

BE A PART OF

In 2018, the Eiteljorg premieres one of its most exciting exhibitions yet: The Reel West, a look at how Hollywood movies and television shape our ideas of the American West.

So you’re not a big Hollywood producer? You can still sponsor an object in the exhibition or the exhibition itself.

The Reel West will feature objects such as Gene Autry’s cowboy hat, Danny Glover’s Silverado boots and a Gunsmoke badge, to name a few. To sponsor something worn by your favorite Hollywood hero or villain, contact us today.

An interactive exhibit inside a classic theater backdrop will show Western movie trailers.

For a $500 sponsorship, your nameplate can appear on a theater seat.

For details about sponsorship opportunities, contact Nataly Lowder at 317.275.1311 or nlowder@eiteljorg.com.

Sponsored by the Sunrise Foundation, and by The Margot L. and Robert S. Eccles Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation.

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Eiteljorg Museum Storyteller Magazine

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MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS

UPCOMING ART PROGRAMS

2017 Quest for the West ® sponsors

Contemporary art in the spotlight (Continued from page 9)

in thought-provoking ways and undoubtedly will foster discussion. The exhibit, The Geometry of Expression, was produced by Dorene Red Cloud, assistant curator of Native American art, and will be up through Jan. 7, 2018.

Both exhibits build anticipation for the Nov. 11 public opening of Native Art Now!, a retrospective of some of the archetypal work of Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship artists over the past 20 years.

The 39 works, some of them newly purchased and not shown before, will include paintings, photography, sculpture and three large installations in the special exhibit gallery.

Native Art Now! will be accompanied Nov. 11-12 by a convening of scholars, curators and many of the living Eiteljorg Fellows who will participate in a discussion about challenges facing contemporary Native artists today, as well as a preview of an upcoming TV documentary about the artists.

Once it closes Jan. 28, Native Art Now! will go on tour as a traveling exhibition to other cities to present the work of these artists to broader audiences. In conjunction with Native Art Now!, the Eiteljorg is publishing a major survey book that reviews several decades of contemporary Native art and is authored by many of the most prominent authors in the field.

SPONSORED BY:

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The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art gratefully acknowledges the support of the following 2017 12th annual Quest for the West ® Art Show and Sale sponsors:

Presented by Cardinal Contracting The Western Art Society Wagon Master Avis Industrial Corporation Trail Bosses Stephen and Jane Marmon Patsy Solinger Bill and Roberta Witchger Drovers Ice Miller LLP Angie and Dick Darlington L.G. and Alyce Edwards Tom and Patty Gibbs Gita and Joe Osborne Mel and Joan Perelman

Thank you to the following donors for memberships and gifts received between April 1 and May 31, 2017.

Due to space limitations, only contributions of $125 or more are listed—with the exception of annual fund, memorial and honorarium gifts.

If your name is not listed as you would like it to be, or if it has been omitted, then please accept our apology and call 317.275.1341.

Membership gifts ($125 and above) Vision Circle Cumulative 2017 giving $25,000 or more Cathy and Robert Turner Chairperson’s Circle Cumulative 2017 giving $10,000–$24,999 Henry and Louise Leander President’s Society Cumulative 2017 giving $5,000–$9,999 Bud and Karen Colglazier Marion Wolen Golden Eagle Society $2,500–$4,999 Donald B. Korb Terry and Connie Marbach Ellen M. Reed Eagle Society $1,500–$2,499 Fritz R. and Sandy Gordner Camilla Hull Carrie Kirk and Carol Besore Susie and Howard Maxwell Newell O. Pugh, Jr. Ann M. and Chris Stack Dr. Oksana and Peter Withey

Mavericks Caryn and David Anderson Roger and Mindy Eiteljorg Tom and Evelyn Seeley Buckaroos High Noon Western Americana Stan and Sandy Hurt Indiana Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates — Dr. and Mrs. John Moenning Mickey and Janie Maurer Robert Oppelt and Beth Meloy Patte and Frank Owings Additional support provided by Ieva Straatman Eiteljorg Keepsake sponsors Stephen and Jane Marmon Catherine and Robert Turner Prize sponsors Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award The Western Art Society

Patron Members $500–$999 Boris E. Meditch Gail Plater and William M. Plater Miriam Robeson Sustaining Members $250–$499 John and Joann Birdzell Dr. and Mrs. John J. Coleman, III Dave and Donna Grow Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Eleanor Hingtgen Elizabeth and J.A. Lacy Erik Peterson and Elee Wood Steven and Andrea Richel Marjorie and Karl Schnelle James and Anna White Contributing Members $125–$249 H. Dean and Donna Andrews Toni and Robert Bader Philip and Roberta Caito Nancy Christy Bill and Coleen Ehrig Dr. Judith Erickson John and Jill Failey Phyllis Fee Dr. Gary and Sharon Graff Mr. Neil Handley George Harding Patricia Herron and Russell Rumansoff Stephen and Anne Jay James Jenkins Lucy and Marshall Magruder Myles Minton Christina Morris Arlene Mueller Jane R. Nolan Erin and Kyle Oliver Thomas Ordway The Honorable and Mrs. Max F. Page Robert and Martha Ravensberg Robert and Janet Redmond Robert and Jan Reynolds

Eiteljorg Museum Storyteller Magazine

Artist or Collector of Distinction Award The Western Art Society Victor Higgins Work of Distinction Award Catherine and Robert Turner Henry Farny Award for best painting Stephen and Jane Marmon Cyrus Dallin Award for best sculpture Mike and Carla Leppert Patrons’ Choice Award Booth Western Art Museum Artists’ Choice Award Phyllis and Ed Cockerill In-kind support Honeymoon Image and Design Monarch Beverage Sun King Brewery

Julia Ritter Dale and Mary Jo Roberts James and Maureen Ross Mr. Michael Sawyers Dianne Seibert Adrianne Singer Ann and Steve Smith James W. and Nancy C. Smith Sheryl A. Sostarich John and Marcy Taylor Donna and Ben Taylor Gerald and Judith Thomas Timothy L. Tyler Annie Weinblatt Prof. Marianne Wokeck H. David and Jane Wright Doug Yost and Kim Mathews

Kay Koch Norbert and Katherine Krapf Lezlie Laxton L. Robert Lowe and Nancy Lowe Jon D. Marhenke, M.D. Marigold, Inc. Patricia S. Mohler Jim and Jackie Morris Eloise Paul Erik Peterson and Elee Wood Chris Reading and Juliet Port Roger and Barbara Schmenner Joan SerVaas and Larry Roan Maureen and Michael Surak Chris and Whitney Trede Cathy and Robert Turner Martha and John Tynan Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles Randall M. Watson and Barbara A. Koewler Annie Weinblatt Gifts in Honor and Memory In Honor of Eiteljorg Museum Staff John Vanausdall Foundation, corporation and government gifts $100,000 and above The Margot L. and Robert S. Eccles Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation $40,000–$99,999 Arts Council of Indianapolis $25,000–$39,999 Sunrise Foundation $10,000–$24,999 Anonymous National Endowment for the Arts Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation, Inc.

$5,000–$9,999 Christel DeHaan Family Foundation in honor of the children and families of Christel House $2,500–$4,999 Nordstrom $500–$2,499 Paul I. Cripe Charitable Foundation London Witte & Company, LLP Minnesota Historical Society Pet Valu Matching gifts Starbucks Matching Gifts Program In-Kind gifts Honeymoon Image & Design Darin Lawson Metazoa Brewing Company Monarch Beverage Stuart’s Household Furniture Moving and Storage, Inc. The Great Frame Up Utopos Gardens Project New Moon, Project Silver Moon and Project 2021 campaign gifts and pledges Sue and Michael Back Frank and Katrina Basile Ben and Sandy Blanton Steve Cagle Gannett Stan and Sandy Hurt Mary Ann Roman WestFest Sponsored by: Sunrise Foundation

Donors All annual fund, memorial and honorarium gifts are listed. Gifts in other categories are for $100 or more.

Annual Fund and other designated gifts Amazon Smiles Bob and Pat Anker Anonymous (3) Sarah C. Barney James and Marge Benge Dr. Kerry and Elizabeth Blanchard Dr. Rosanne Bonjouklian Milo and Mary Lou Chelovitz Dr. and Mrs. Michael R. Cohen Gayle and Carl Cox Wayne Craig Carol Derbin Michael Eagle Ryan C. Fuhrmann Michael Hertel and Joelylynn Gifford Eric and Pamela Hinkle James and Mary Jackson Chris Katterjohn

*Deceased

QUEST FOR THE WEST® CATALOGUE WILL LIVEN UP YOUR BOOKSHELF OR COFFEE TABLE If you are inspired by the stunning art in the Quest for the West ® Art Show and Sale, make the experience last by taking home a permanent memento.

Get your copy now at the Museum Store for only $20

Artists in Residence bring arts to the community

By Emily Sabens, marketing intern Each fall, a select group of artists from across the country descend upon the museum to provide exciting experiences for the local community. The Eiteljorg is excited to have four amazing artists in the lineup this fall. Artists in Residence work at the museum for three weeks at a time, meeting school groups, teaching workshops, doing demonstrations and sharing their art and culture.

Each artist will also spend time doing outreach programs at area schools, libraries, community centers and universities.

Self-taught musician and artist Tim Blueflint Ramel (Bad River Chippewa/Comanche) draws his creative and musical influences from the memories and stories told to him by his family, as well as others who have graced his life. Internationally recognized for his handcrafted fine art, flutes and jewelry, Ramel has traveled to venues across Indian Country to share his improvisational traditional music, art and memories. Meet Ramel and learn about his work during open studio sessions on Sept. 9, 16 and 23, and hear a performance of his flute music on Sept. 17.

DG House (Cherokee of Northeastern Alabama) developed a passion for the environment and wildlife as a child, when she spent large amounts of time camping with her family in her native state of Ohio. Fulfilling a lifelong goal, House traveled to Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 1981; it was there that her love of people, landscapes and the wildness converged with her Native heritage.

During House’s 20-year career, her art has been featured in museum permanent collections across the country. Meet House, learn about her painting techniques and watch as she works during open studio sessions on Oct. 7 and 21.

Artist Richard Gabriel Jr. of Tijeras, New Mexico, is a gifted artist who focuses primarily on creating traditional Spanish Colonial tinwork.

He also is a painter and often incorporates his paintings into his tinwork. Serving as an educator as well, Gabriel teaches tinsmithing at the Santa Fe Community College and operates his own studio in Tijeras. Meet Gabriel and try your hand at tinwork during the museum’s annual Day of the Dead Celebration on Oct. 28.

Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida) is an award-winning artist who creates decorative pieces following the traditions of Iroquois raised beadwork. Hoffman’s beadwork has been displayed across the country and is in the permanent collections of numerous institutions.

Meet Hoffman and learn about her art and culture during open studio sessions on Nov. 11, 18 and 25.

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White River State Park • 500 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 www.eiteljorg.org

COMING SOON

NATIVE ART NOW!

JINGLE RAILS

THE GREAT WESTERN ADVENTURE

THE EITELJORG CONTEMPORARY ART FELLOWSHIP

NOV 18 – JAN 15

NOV 11 – JAN 28

Be inspired by this exhibition of nearly 40 iconic works of art that will raise awareness of and an appreciation for contemporary Native art and artists.

Native Art Now! includes a comprehensive book and documentary film.

Meryl McMaster (Plains Cree/Blackfoot) Anima (In-Between Worlds series) detail, 2012 Digital chromogenic print Museum Purchase: Eiteljorg Fellowship

SPONSORED BY:

Don’t miss this holiday family tradition. Model trains chug through beautifully recreated landscapes and landmarks of the American West and downtown Indianapolis. See the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore and other iconic places, made of all-natural materials.

New in 2017: Hollywood PRESENTED BY:

Stay connected with the Eiteljorg on social media and at eiteljorg.org.

You can also sign-up for our weekly e-newsletter at eiteljorg.org.