Star WallowingBull facts for kids

Star WallowingBull, born in 1973, is a talented Native American artist. He is famous for his unique drawings made with special colored pencils called Prismacolor. He is a member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and also has Arapaho heritage. His art often uses shapes and figures that look like machines, and he gets ideas from Pop culture.

About Star WallowingBull

Early Life and Art

Star WallowingBull was born on August 18, 1973, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father, Frank Big Bear, was a well-known artist. Star started drawing when he was very young, at just 8 months old! He was inspired by Native American art, Pop Art, and famous European artists. As he grew up, he faced some challenges. He found that art helped him express himself. He used his art to show what life was like for Native American people as they adapted to new ways in the United States.

Starting His Art Career

Star's father, Frank Big Bear, helped him connect with an art dealer named Todd Bockley. This connection helped Star's career take off! His art was shown at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. Many art collectors loved his unique style, especially his use of Prismacolor pencils. These pencils gave his collage-like drawings a cool, metallic look.

The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation describes his work. They say he uses colored pencils and paint to explore how American Indian culture and U.S. pop culture mix in the 21st century. One of his early artworks is Black Elk’s Little Sand Man. This piece showed how different Indigenous cultures contrasted with what many people in the U.S. thought Indigenous culture was. His art helps us understand the different parts of identity for Native American people. They have faced many changes and challenges over time.

Learning from a Mentor

In 2005, Star WallowingBull met a very important person: James Rosenquist. Rosenquist was a famous artist who became Star's mentor. Star was having pain in his hands from drawing so much. Rosenquist taught him how to paint instead. He even gave Star $1000 and a full set of painting tools to help him start. Star continued to use painting in much of his work after this.

Teaching Art

Today, Star WallowingBull teaches art to students of all ages. He shares his knowledge and passion for art near his home in Minneapolis. He also teaches in parts of North Dakota and other areas of the Midwest.

Star WallowingBull's Artworks

Plains Art Museum Mural

In 2003, Star WallowingBull created a large mural for the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota. He worked on this piece with his father, Frank Big Bear. This mural was different from some of Star's other works. It had a stronger influence from traditional Native art styles and patterns. The mural uses very bright colors. It shows native birds flying around the heads of gods, surrounded by abstract designs. A quote on the mural says, "I will not be there. I will not fall. Bury my heart at Wounded Knee." This refers to the Wounded Knee Massacre and honors the struggles of Indigenous people from the past.

American Dreamers

This artwork, made with Prismacolor pencils in 2000, is full of bright colors. It shows a Native American chief in the front. Another Native person holds a gun. Other Native elements, like deer, also appear. These are contrasted by a hundred-dollar bill in the background. You can also see faces of important American figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. This piece shows how Star WallowingBull felt growing up, influenced by two different societies. The title, American Dreamers, suggests that Native American people share the same spirit as others searching for their identity.

Clown Face

Clown Face is one of Star's artworks that focuses on the environment. It was released in 2010 and printed in 2015 for the New Art 2.0 print for Eiteljorg Museum. This piece uses abstract colors and shapes. It features a man drawn with abstract Native patterns. You can also see rain, drawn in a similar abstract way, falling from the sky. The rain hits the man's arm, making it look like it's burning. This artwork is a comment on environmental issues like smog and acid rain. It shows how these problems can affect people and nature. The artist uses inverse colors to create a powerful image.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

Group Exhibitions

Art Collections

Star WallowingBull's art can be found in several important collections, including:

• British Museum
• National Museum of the American Indian
• Plains Art Museum
• Weisman Art Museum
• Tweed Museum of Art
• Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

Awards and Honors

Star WallowingBull has received several awards for his amazing artwork:

• Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Regional Artist Fellowship
  • This fellowship helped him study the history of the Arapaho tribe and keep their cultural traditions alive through art.
• Bush Foundation - Bush Artist Fellowship
• Plains Art Museum, Art on the Plains 6 - Juror Award
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian - Native Artist Fellowship