Joyce Growing Thunder Fogarty facts for kids

This "Give Away Horses" dress (made in 2006) was created by the Growing Thunder Fogarty family.

Joyce Growing Thunder Fogarty (born in 1950) is a famous Native American artist. She is part of the Assiniboine Sioux and Dakota people tribes. Joyce is well-known for her amazing beadwork and quillwork. She creates traditional clothing and items called "Northern Plains regalia." The Smithsonian museum has even called her "one of the West's most highly regarded beadworkers." This means she is one of the best beadworkers in the western United States.

The Artist's Early Life

Joyce Growing Thunder Fogarty was born in Poplar, Montana. This town is located on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. From a very young age, she learned how to bead and sew. Her grandmothers on the reservation taught her these special skills.

Throughout her life, Joyce has made beautiful art. She uses traditional designs from the Plains Indians. She has become the leader of a family of many talented beadwork artists. Her daughter, Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty, and her granddaughter, Jessica "Jessa Rae," also create wonderful beadwork.

Joyce's Amazing Artworks

Joyce Growing Thunder Fogarty is a very successful artist. She is the only artist who has won the "Best of Show" award three times. This top award was given at the Santa Fe Indian Market. This market is a very important event for Native American artists.

Joyce has created more than 500 dresses in her lifetime. She also makes other beautiful items. These include cradleboards, dance outfits, horse masks, and dolls. Her artworks are made with tiny seed beads. She also uses natural materials like horse hair and soft, brain-tanned leather. She even uses earth pigments, which are natural colors from the ground.

Her dolls are very detailed and special. They show designs that are important to her tribe and her family.

Where to See Her Art

You can find Joyce Growing Thunder Fogarty's art in many famous museums. These include the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Her work is also at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Her art has also been shown in books. These books include Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses. Another book is The Responsive Eye: Ralph T. Coe and the Collecting of American Indian Art.

See also

• List of Native American artists
• Visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas