Arthur Amiotte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Douglas Amiotte
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Arthur Amiotte, 1965.jpg
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| Born |
Wanblí Ta Hócoka Washté
March 25, 1942 |
| Nationality | Oglala Lakota, American |
| Education | BA Northern State University |
| Known for | collage, printmaking, painting |
| Awards | Bush Leadership Fellow, South Dakota Governor’s Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Arts |
Arthur Douglas Amiotte, also known by his Lakota name Waŋblí Ta Hóčhoka Wašté (meaning "Good Eagle Center"), is a famous Native American artist. He was born in 1942 and is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. Arthur Amiotte is known for his paintings, collages, and for being a teacher and writer.
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Arthur Amiotte's Life Story
Arthur Amiotte was born on March 25, 1942, in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. This area is part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. As a baby, he was given the Lakota name Warpa Tanka Kuciyela, which means "Low Black Bird." He received his second Lakota name in 1972.
Early Life and Family
Arthur's parents were Walter Douglas Amiotte and Olive Louise Mesteth. His aunt, Emma E. Amiotte, was also a Lakota artist. His great-grandfather, Standing Bear (1859–1933), was a significant figure. Standing Bear was present at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Arthur lived on the reservation until he was six years old. After that, he visited every summer until he was 15.
Education and Mentors
While studying at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Arthur Amiotte attended a workshop. This workshop was led by the artist Oscar Howe in 1961. This experience showed Amiotte how a Native artist could create modern art. He earned his bachelor's degree in Art and Art Education. Later, he taught at Woodrow Wilson Junior High School in Sioux City from 1964 to 1966.
Two important mentors guided Amiotte. From 1969 to 1975, his grandmother, Christina Standing Bear, taught him about his family's heritage. She was a keeper of sacred bundles. His great-grandfather, Standing Bear, had illustrated the famous book Black Elk Speaks. From 1972 to 1981, Amiotte learned from the Lakota medicine man Pete Catches. Pete Catches taught him about Lakota spirituality and traditional ceremonies.
In 1983, Amiotte earned his master's degree from the University of Montana-Missoula.
Career as an Artist and Curator
Arthur Amiotte was a professor of Native American art history at Brandon University in Manitoba. However, in 1985, he decided to focus completely on his art. He opened his own art studio in Custer, South Dakota, in 1986.
Amiotte has also organized art exhibitions. These shows focused on the culture of tribes from the Great Plains. Some places where he curated exhibitions include the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Museum of World Cultures in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In 2004, he gave an important speech called the Oscar Howe Memorial Lecture.
Arthur Amiotte's Artworks
Arthur Amiotte's art is deeply connected to Lakota beliefs and stories. His entire creative work shows his love for Lakota traditions. He supports Lakota rituals, and his art often includes ideas from traditional ceremonies.
Connecting Past and Present in Art
Amiotte believes his art is tied to reservation culture. He aims to connect the past with the present in his work. He once said that modern art often ignored the important "reservation period." This was a time when Lakota people were adapting to new ways of life. They were going to schools like Carlisle and Hampton. They were also seeing new things like magazines and photographs. Amiotte felt it was important to show this mix of old and new in his art.
Collage Art and Ledger Art
His collage art is inspired by a traditional style called Ledger art. Ledger art was created by Native Americans on old ledger books. Amiotte takes this style to a new level. His collages cleverly show the differences between Lakota traditions and modern life. An example is "The Visit" (1995), which is an acrylic-collage at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Wyoming. He also explores the experiences of Lakota people who traveled to Europe. This happened during the Wild West shows in the early 1900s.
Exhibitions and Collections
Arthur Amiotte has been part of over 100 art shows. More than 20 of these were solo exhibitions, meaning only his work was shown. He has exhibited his art across the United States and in Europe. For example, his work was shown at the Kunsthallen Bradts Klaedefabrik in Odense, Denmark, in 1994 and 1995.
His art includes paintings, sculptures, and textile pieces. It can be found in 26 public collections and about 200 private collections. Some public places that own his work include the Denver Art Museum and the National Museum of Natural History.
Here are some of his works in public collections:
- The Minneapolis Institute of Arts:
- Prince Albert, 1989, a collage and acrylic painting on canvas.
- 1913 Spring/Summer 1913- Giving Away His Suit, 1990.
- Joslyn Art Museum:
- New Horse Power in 1913, 1994, an acrylic and collage painting on canvas.
- Hood Museum of Art:
- "Saint Agnes" Manderson, S.D. Pine Ridge Rez, 2001, an acrylic and collage painting on canvas.
- Whitney Gallery of Western Art:
- The Visitors from Oklahoma, 1996, a collage and acrylic painting.
Publications and Lectures
Arthur Amiotte often gives talks both in the United States and in other countries. He is also a published author. In 1989, he wrote a chapter about Sioux Arts. This was for an important book called Illustrated History of the Arts in South Dakota. The book was published during the state's 100th anniversary.
He also helped select photographs and poems by Sioux children. This was for a book published in 1971 by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board.
Awards and Recognition
From 1979 to 1981, Arthur Amiotte served on the Presidential Advisory Council for the Performing Arts. This council advises the President of the United States. In 1980, he received the South Dakota Governor's Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Arts. In the same year, he was given the Bush Leadership Fellowship. This allowed him to study Native American art collections in the United States and Europe. He did this research at the University of Montana-Missoula.
Amiotte received a grant from the Getty Foundation in 1994 and 1995. He also received the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Artists at Giverny Fellowship in 1997.
In 1999, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognized him as both an artist and a scholar by the Native American Art Studies Association.
Arthur Amiotte has also received honorary doctorates. These special degrees are from the Oglala Lakota College and Brandon University in Manitoba.
