Take a few steps off Winslow Way East, past Heart clothing and Esther’s fabric stores, along the boardwalk, to the Jeffrey Moose Gallery. The Gallery is offering works by renowned multimedia artist of over 50 years, Lillian Pitt, as well as newer artist Jennifer Wood. Both are Native American, both exhibit prints (linocuts, monoprints, etc.), and some sculpture.

Pitt may have been working for 50 years, but is showing prints from her recent studio work session at the Matrix Press in Montana, along with some older prints and a sculpture. Pitt added printmaking to a path that began with ceramics and moved to cast glass masks, bronze sculpture, textiles, jewelry, and a few public commissions.  Having grown up on the Warm Springs Reservation, she got special encouragement from a high school teacher which launched her into an art career.

Pitt’s heritage includes The River People, The Warm Springs Wasco and Yakama Wishxam, all of whom thrived along the Columbia River 12,000 years ago. She became regionally, nationally and internationally known for honoring her “ancestors and giving voice to the people, the environment and the animals.”  Among her many honors, she was awarded the 1990 Governor’s Award of the Oregon Arts Commission.

Jennifer Wood lives in Indianola but grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, and is of Yup’ik descent.  She too began her art career in high school carving masks. Following the unexpected death of her mentor Ron Manook, she continued working on her own. After moving to the Seattle area and connecting with other Native Artists, she expanded her skill sets by learning how to use the bent knives and adzes. Her inspirations are “historic masks, stories and her family of Tununak.” She “tries to connect with her Yup’ik heritage and bring a little bit of Yup’ik history into the modern world.”  

This show is a nice pairing of a renowned older statesperson and an emerging star.

Wood will be followed for her future contributions. Although a small, shared show, it is well worth seeing and engaging in this opportunity to learn about our regional indigenous people.

Images courtesy of Jeffrey Moose Gallery
181 Winslow Way E.
January 3 – February 1, 2020

 ABOUT BILL BARAN-MICKLE: Recently, Bill has enjoyed exhibiting in several international art biennial exhibitions. Of the three in which he has participated, he won Third Place for Sculpture from the European Confederation of Art Critics in the Chianciamo Biennale, at the Chianciano Art Museum in Italy in 2011, and First Place in Applied Arts in the London Biennale of 2013. In 2013 alone, he will have participated in eight exhibitions: from London to a two-person exhibition near home. In addition, Bill was asked to be a representative for CCAC’s exhibition celebrating 100 years of the Metals Department, and a mix of group shows in New York City, Miami, Seattle and Las Vegas. Bill is the designer of the 10 foot Equitorial Bowstring Sundial located at the Richie Observatory in Battle Point Park on Bainbridge Island, WA and completed in 2015.