In the months of July and August visitors to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Plains Indian Museum have the opportunity to interact with award-winning artists Robert Martinez, John Hitchcock, and John I. Pepion, who serves as Artists-in-Residence this summer.
July 22 – 26 9 AM – 3 PM
Robert Martinez is a Northern Arapaho artist. Raised on the Wind River Reservation of Wyoming, his Native heritage remains a constant inspiration and source of ideas for his work. The past and present resonate strongly in Wyoming and those historic and contemporary chords echo throughout his pieces. Much of Robert’s current work uses historic images, myths, and stories of the American West and Arapaho culture. Using intense vibrant color and contrasting shades of light and dark, he paints and draws striking forms that confront and engage viewers. A strong supporter of education and of the arts, Robert devotes time to helping and mentoring emerging artists on his reservation in Wyoming and the western region. He gives back to the community by speaking about art topics, giving workshops, and demonstrates his style to schools, agencies, and art groups.
July 29 – Aug 2 9 AM – 3 PM
John Hitchcock is a Comanche artist. He uses the print medium with its long history of social and political commentary to explore relationships of community, land, and culture. Hitchcock’s works on paper and multimedia installation consist of prints and moving image that mediates the trauma of war and the fragility of life. Images of U.S. military weaponry are combined with mythological hybrid creatures from the Wichita Mountains of western Oklahoma to explore notions of assimilation and control. John Hitchcock is an Artist and Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he teaches screenprinting, relief cut, and installation art.
Aug 19 – 23 9 AM – 3 PM
John Isaiah Pepion is an artist who hails from the Blackfeet Nation in northern Montana. The art journey has been ceremonial for John as his understanding of his past, family, and culture grows with his work. He descends from Mountain Chief, a Blackfeet leader who preserved history through numerous winter counts. Through art, John finds personal healing and cultural preservation. He speaks with troubled youth in public schools to promote the benefits of art as therapy. John holds formal degrees in Art Marketing and Museum Studies from United Tribes Technical College and the Institute of American Indian Arts, respectively. However, his education continues with every piece he creates and with every story he shares. John incorporates traditional design elements into colorful contemporary illustrations, leaving his work highly recognizable. Most importantly, John’s art deepens his connections to self and place, providing him with a sense of strength.
The Center of the West’s Artists-in-Residence program is supported in part by an award from the Wyoming Arts Council through funding from the National Endowment of the Arts. Since 1976, the award-winning Plains Indian Museum in Cody, Wyoming, has devoted itself to sharing the stories of Plains Indians. For more information, visit centerofthewest.org or the Plains Indian Museum Facebook page.
