Campus Connection

An artist known for creating artwork about Native American history — similar to pieces inspired by events such as today’s Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s fight against an oil pipeline in North Dakota — will speak at UWL. Jim Denomie will discuss his images being shown in conjunction with the “Re-Riding History” exhibition running in University Art Gallery. His talk at noon Friday, Sept. 16, in 116 Center for the Arts is free.   The Lac Courte Oreille Band of Objibwe member creates paintings that comment on Native American history, along with current events, pop culture, politics and more. He creates images ranging from playful, even dark comedy, to those that are disturbing and somber.   In 1995, Denomie earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota. Since, he has shown extensively in the U.S. and Europe in group and solo exhibitions. His work is in the permanent collections of museums, as well as many other public and private collections. Denomie’s work has been included in local and national publications. He has received several prestigious grants and awards.   In 2005, Denomie completed a task of painting at least one painting a day for a year. Much of the work was showcased in the exhibition, “New Skins,” at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 2007. He was named City Pages Artist of the Year for 2007. In 2008, he was awarded a Bush Artist Fellowship, in 2009 an Eiteljorg Native American Fine Art Fellowship and most recently, a 2012 McKnight Fellowship. Denomie is represented by the Bockley Gallery in Minneapolis.   Denomie’s sketch, “The Land Grab” in Re-Riding History: From the Southern Plains to the Matanzas Bay is one of a dozen or more studies done for “Eminent Domain, A Brief History of America” (oil on canvas, 84x144”  2010-11). His artist’s statement about the work:   Like many of the Ledger Drawing artists at Fort Marion, I document the world around me, focusing on contemporary social and political issues, sometimes with a critique of history from today’s vantage point. Although I was aware of ledger drawings and hide paintings, I did not consider myself related to this genre until I was invited to participate in this exhibition, Re-Riding History. After studying the history of the Fort Marion prisoners and their drawings, I see how my work, and the work of other contemporary Indian artists, are closely related to this genre. I now see my monumental painting, “Eminent Domain, A Brief History of America” as a 7x12’ ledger drawing.   “Re-Riding History: From the Southern Plains to the Matanzas Bay,” a traveling exhibition of contemporary works on paper that combines various printmaking methods with drawing, collage and photography, runs the UWL University Art Gallery through Sunday, Sept. 25. Regular gallery hours are noon-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, by appointment, and during events in Toland Theater. All University Art Gallery exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Art Department at 608.785.8230   If you go— Who:  Jim Denomie   What: Artist’s Talk When: noon Friday, Sept. 16 Where: 116 UWL Center for the Arts           Admission: Free