Natalie Ball facts for kids

Natalie Ball, born in 1980, is a talented artist. She is from the Klamath and Modoc Native American tribes. Natalie lives and works in Chiloquin, Oregon. She creates many different kinds of art.

Who is Natalie Ball?

Natalie Ball was born in Portland, Oregon. She is a member of the Klamath Tribes. Her family also has African-American, Modoc, and Anglo-American roots.

Her Family and Background

Natalie is a descendant of a famous Modoc chief. His name was Kientpaush, also known as Captain Jack. He led the Modoc people in the 1872 Modoc War. Natalie's grandfather was a painter. Her aunt, Peggy Ball, was a quiltmaker. Her family moved to Portland after the Klamath Termination Act in 1954. Natalie has three children. One of her daughters is named Lofanitani Aisea.

Her Education Journey

Natalie studied art and ethnic studies. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon. She then traveled to New Zealand. There, she earned a master's degree in Maori Visual Arts. This was from Massey University in Palmerston North. Later, in 2018, she earned another master's degree. This was an MFA in painting and printmaking from Yale University School of Art.

What Kind of Art Does She Make?

Natalie Ball creates many types of art. Her work includes installation art and performance art. She also makes mixed-media textile art, sculptures, paintings, and prints.

Exploring Her Artworks

Bang bang (2019) at the Rubell Museum in 2021

Natalie often uses textiles in her art. She combines stitched words with quilts and dolls. These artworks often tell stories from Modoc and Klamath history. Her aunt taught her how to make quilts when she was young. This inspired Natalie to think differently about materials. She also explores traditional crafts and textiles.

In 2015, Natalie had an art show. It was at the One Flaming Arrow Indigenous Art, Music, & Film Festival. Her installation used many different items. These included coyote heads and her handmade quilts. She also used old newspaper clippings from the 1800s. These clippings were about her great-great-grandfather, Kientpaush. The fresh wood in her art piece, "Mapping Coyote Black," made the gallery smell like pine.

Natalie explained her artwork. She said, "Everyone knows that Coyote is a trickster." Coyote is smart and powerful, but sometimes acts foolish. Natalie uses Coyote to represent herself as an artist.

Art and Identity

Being a mother is very important to Natalie's art. She says her work looks at how Native American identity is shaped. She finds inspiration from other artists. One artist she admires is Coco Fusco. Coco Fusco created a famous performance piece. It was called "Two Undiscovered Amerindians Visit the West."

Where Has Her Art Been Shown?

Natalie Ball's art has been shown all over the world. She has exhibited her work in Hungary and New Zealand. She was also part of the 15th Sharjah Biennial.

In the United States, her art has been displayed in many museums. These include the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Seattle Art Museum, and the Portland Art Museum. She also showed her art at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. In 2015, she created an installation called Mapping Coyote Black at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Awards and Recognitions

Natalie Ball has received many awards for her art. In 2016, she won the Lilla Jewel Fund Award. She also received the Santo Foundation Award. The Oregon Arts Commission gave her the Joan Shipley Award in 2016. That same year, the Oregon Arts Commission named her an Individual Artist Fellow. In 2018, the Seattle Art Museum honored her. They gave her the Betty Bowen Award. In 2019, she received a Golden Spot Residency Award. This was from the Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts.