Colleen Cutschall facts for kids

Colleen Cutschall, born in 1951, is a talented artist also known as Sister Wolf. She is from the Oglala Lakota and Sicangu Lakota people, who live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Today, she creates her art in Manitoba, Canada.

About Colleen Cutschall

Colleen Cutschall grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. She is a Lakota artist, a person who studies art history, a teacher, a writer, and someone who helps organize art shows. Since the 1980s, she has lived and worked in southwestern Manitoba.

Colleen studied art with a famous painter named Oscar Howe in the late 1960s. She earned a special art degree called a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Barat College. She also has a Master of Education degree from Black Hills State University.

Her Art and What It Means

Colleen Cutschall creates art using many different methods. She makes paintings, sculptures, photographs, and large art displays called installations.

Her artwork often explores interesting ideas. She looks at old Lakota stories and characters, like those found in myths. She also thinks about how humans connect with the universe and what happens when people explore new places. Her art is known for being flexible and changing, often including ideas from:

• Anthropology (the study of human societies)
• Feminism (supporting equal rights for women)
• Natural sciences (like biology or physics)
• Cultural identity (who we are based on our culture)

Where You Can See Her Art

Colleen Cutschall's artwork is part of important collections in many places. You can find her pieces at:

• The Manitoba Arts Council Art Bank
• The Canada Council Art Bank
• The Government of Manitoba
• The Thunder Bay Art Gallery
• The Kenderdine Art Gallery
• The MacKenzie Art Gallery
• The Oscar Howe Art Center
• The Winnipeg Art Gallery

Spirit Warriors Sculpture

Colleen Cutschall is famous for designing a sculpture called Spirit Warriors. This amazing iron sculpture is located at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. This place was once named after George Custer, a United States commander during the American Indian Wars.

Cutschall's sculpture honors the Native American warriors who fought in the Great Sioux War of 1876. It stands as a powerful reminder of their bravery and history.

This is the Spirit Warriors sculpture at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

Teaching and Education

Besides making her own art, Colleen Cutschall also taught at Brandon University. She is now a Professor Emerita, which means she is a retired professor who is still highly respected.

She taught in the Department of Native Studies for over twenty years. Later, she even started a new department there called the Department of Visual and Aboriginal Art. This shows her dedication to teaching and sharing Indigenous art.

Important Art Shows

Colleen Cutschall's art has been shown in many important exhibitions. Here are some of them:

• "Voices in the Blood" (1990): This show started at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. It then traveled to many other places, including the Oscar Howe Art Center, Minnesota State University, the Art Gallery of Mississauga, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, and the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
• "Sister Wolf in Her Moon" (1995): This exhibition was held at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
• "House Made of Stars" (1996): This show took place at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
• "Identity By Design: Tradition, Change and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses" (2007-2010): This large exhibition was shown at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and later in New York City at the George Gustav Heye Center. Colleen Cutschall also wrote a chapter for a book that went along with this exhibition, called Dress, Designers, and the Dance of Life.
• "….Dies Again!" (2005): This show was at Urban Shaman in Winnipeg, Manitoba.