Drawings by Frank Big Bear

Right now through September 27, Fargo and Moorhead residents have the privilege of catching Frank Big Bear’s artwork at the Plains Art Museum. His show, titled, “Drawings By Frank Big Bear,” and curated by Peter Spooner, marks the first museum exhibition of his color pencil work in more than a decade. As a special treat, it is also the first exhibit accompanied by a book that documents both his life and his art.

Frank Big Bear was born and raised on Minnesota’s White Earth Reservation and has resided in Minneapolis since 1968. A self-taught artist, Big Bear’s color pencil drawings rely on dreams, intuitions and influences from his study of art history and literature. His work pays homage to traditional Ojibwe culture while presenting a continual search for spiritual meaning and the collision of cultures between American Indian and American. This theme carries on so strongly in his work that it has been passed on to his son, Star Wallowing Bull, who is an artist himself.

The last few years have marked a time of incredible growth and opportunity for Frank Big Bear. His artwork has achieved an almost cult status among a younger generation of artists who, like him, live with a double identity, both as an American Indian and an American. In 2008, Frank Big Bear and Walter Piehl were both honored with a $100,000 Bush Foundation Enduring Vision award. The award is one of the most prestigious artists’ fellowships in the country, given to artists for their artistic excellence and commitment to their practice for over 25 years.

On July 23, the Plains Art Museum will be hosting a very special opening for Frank Big Bear’s exhibit. From 5:30 to 8 p.m., the museum will be open to members and nonmembers alike. A gallery talk will be given by the exhibition’s curator, Peter Spooner. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available as well as musical accompaniment provided by American Indian flute and hand drum artist Alan Demaray. The opening is free for members, who are encouraged to bring a guest. The fee for nonmembers is $10.

What: Drawings By Frank Big Bear
When: Opening on July 23, exhibit through Sept. 27
Where: Plains Art Museum
Cost: Free for members, $10 for nonmembers