~ Judith Lowry ~ |
"Performance" "Singing For Her Supper" "Black Magic" Judith Lowry is a local nationally acclaimed Maidu-Pit River artist who describes her work as a modern extension of the tradition of storytelling that preserves her culture and family history through art. |
Welgatim's Song, Acrylic On Canvas, 90" x 68" |
Nevada City artist's work to hang in Smithsonian The artwork of Judith Lowry has been on the Smithsonian Institution's radar for more than five years. The Nevada City resident's acrylic paintings were shown by the prestigious educational center during "Continuum 12," an exhibit in New York sponsored from 2003 to 2005 by the institution's National Museum of the American Indian. Now, Lowry will have a permanent spot in the hallways of the institution. The Smithsonian has purchased her six-panel work, "Weh-Pom and the Star Sisters," one of the pieces featured in "Continuum 12." "To have your work installed in any museum is always an honor," said Lowry. "Weh-Pom and the Star Sisters" - or "the girls," as she calls the series — is one of Lowry's favorite works, she said. Its six panels depict five women and a wolf man in the stars, dancing and pouring star dust downward. The vivid colors and symbolism in the paintings are hallmarks of Lowry's work. She's best known for portraying the contemporary perspective of Native American life and her execution in acrylic on life-sized canvasses. "The girls" are 48 by 60 inches each, according to the National Museum of the American Indian. Lowry's work also is featured at Lilly Vigil Gallery, 214 Broad St., in Nevada City. Smithsonian workers were at Vigil Gallery on Monday to crate up "the girls" for shipment. Judith Lowry — with her painting "The Race for Fire," in her studio on Searls Avenue in Nevada City. Born in Washington, D.C., Lowry's heritage includes Mountain Maidu, Hamawi Band Pit River and Washo tribes and Scots-Irish on her father's side and Euro-Australian roots on her mother's side. Her father, retired Lt. Col. Leonard Lowry, was a decorated World War II veteran. Stories passed on by her grandmother, of the Hamawi people of northeastern California, inspire her work. Lowry looks back at her history, her mother and father, and wonders what they would think of her accomplishments after achieving such an honor. "They're both gone, and I was just thinking how they would both be so proud," Lowry said. She also sold another of her paintings, "The Race for Fire," to the Roseville Maidu Interpretive Center. It depicts a tiger, a deer and a bear in the foreground racing in the direction of a fire in the background. "It fits perfectly for the mezzanine," Lowry said. To view examples of Lowry's work, visit LillyVigilGallery.com or www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/continuum. To contact Staff Writer and Online Community Manager Zuri Berry, e-mail [email protected] or call (530) 477-4244. ### |
Roadkill Warrior: Last of his Tribe |
Other Voices: Why we should pay tribute to Ishi When discussing the proposed Nevada City monument to the Maidu people with an artist who had wanted to create the sculpture, the artist said, "But they want an Indian to do it." I asked her opinion about having the monument created, instead, as a tribute to Ishi. She didn't know who he was, so let me tell you. Ishi was of the Yahi-Yani tribe. While he probably had multiple tribal heritages, his family group identified as Yahi - meaning that they spoke that dialect and adhered to the customs and practices of that tribe. At about the age of 6, his family decided to "drop out," so to speak, and melt into the forest. They had witnessed many bad things happen to Indians. In fear of their lives they became reclusive, only occasionally visiting friends' villages for gatherings. In time, the group dwindled down to five. By the time he was in his early 30s, Ishi knew no other company than his father, mother and two other family members - a young man and woman, probably his brother and sister. The family's livelihood in the forest depended on their tools, clothing and food stores. Unfortunately, one day a team of surveyors working in the mountains surprised the family who heard their approach just in time to flee their camp, but not in time to take anything with them. They were only able to hide and observe helplessly as their belongings were gathered and taken away. From that time on, their lives were thrown in chaos. They fled deeper into the wilderness, fearing their camp's discovery would lead to a search. With nothing to hunt with they began to starve. One by one, Ishi's family died around him. And then he was alone. Ishi lived for two years in absolute isolation, living off the land as best he could. To survive, he even made daring raids on white settlements' food supplies when hunger drove him to it. He shed weight until he was almost skeletal. He began to suffer the emotional effects of isolation, loneliness and grief. He was dying. In a traditional expression of mourning, he shaved his head and went naked to the place of the "Saltu," his word for white people. Ishi was discovered in a slaughterhouse in 1911, near Oroville, and taken to the county jail where he was photographed wearing an old coat someone provided. In it he stands with a haunted expression and the bones protruding from his emaciated flesh. Several Indians futilely attempted communication with what the newspapers called, "The Last Wild Indian." Finally, a man came forward who knew a bit of Yahi. On hearing him speak, Ishi became excited and talkative. The man could only understand a little of what Ishi had to say. To this day, his name remains a mystery. "Ishi" is simply the Yahi word for "man." Theodore Kroeber, the Berkeley anthropologist, became interested in Ishi and took him to live at the university, where he was studied until his death from tuberculosis five years later. During his time there, he imparted much valuable knowledge about his people, but also about himself. He was gracious and generous of spirit. He learned about the world that had been a mystery to him his whole life. He made friends, rode streetcars, went to the theater, and saw many wonders. Nothing really seemed to astonish or amaze him until he visited a San Francisco beach for the first time. It was not the sight of the ocean, but the thousands of people on the beach that caused him to gasp, "So many Saltu!" To California Indians, Ishi is a beloved historical hero, one who we admire and relate to. He represents both the shattering and the survival of our tribal heritages. But perhaps his greatest attribute and the most instructive, was his saint-like capacity for forgiveness. His gentle nature and his remarkable journey, ending only recently with the return of his brain from the vaults of the Smithsonian to a burial place in his beloved homeland, make him emblematic of the struggles and survival of all California Indian people. Last, Ishi was a good-looking man who looked great in a suit. The proposed statue is somewhat deco-noveau with its swirling lines and generalized, anonymous figures. Such sculptures are proliferating in many production foundries and may look too contemporary. A bronze statue of a real person would be more historic. But, maybe leave the shoes off, he never got used to them. ~~ Judith Lowry is of Maidu/Irish descent and is a nationally recognized artist, writer and educator involved primarily with Native California's cultural heritage. She lives in Nevada City. Ishi Images: Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, from Calisphere, University of California |
| ~ Home ~ Artists ~ Shows ~ Directions ~ Links ~ |