Cave Creek Museum, in collaboration with Desert Foothills Library, welcomes master sculptor and painter Oreland C. Joe as guest lecturer in “Native American Ledger Art with Oreland C. Joe,” on Thursday, February 28, 2019, 7:00pm – 8:30pm, at Desert Foothills Library.
“New Mexico artist Oreland C. Joe, renown for his works in stone and bronze sculptures, offers a unique vision of Northern Plains Indians with his interpretations of ledger art in a contemporary, but also historic, context,” said Karrie Porter Brace, Cave Creek Museum Executive Director. “His artwork can be found in private, corporate, and museum collections throughout the United States and abroad.”
“My goal is to decipher the importance of ledger art and also present it in a new way that hasn’t been seen before,” Oreland Joe explained. “Those images need to be preserved and their traditions need to continue. I want to use ledger as a way to frame these historic stories, but to do it in a new way and at the highest possible level of quality.” The Southern Ute and Navajo artist is the first Native American to become a member of the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America.
While Joe’s artwork has a contemporary edge, it is, as he says, “filled with symbols and story,” all of which is heavily researched and catalogued. As a Southern Ute Tribal Historian, he takes great pride in bringing history to life.
The origin and catalyst of Joe’s ledger work is rooted in the history of Cheyenne warrior Yellow Nose, whose late-1800 ledger book with his brother-in-law Spotted Wolf proved to be motivational. “Yellow Nose’s trajectory through the West inspired some of the most treasured ledger images ever created,” according to Joe, whose initial research into Yellow Nose’s life and works led to a lengthy and ongoing investigation into ledger art of the Northern Plains. His research covered the years from 1820 to 1895, regions in both the northern and southern plains, and tribes including Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux. This in-depth research directly inspired Joe’s new works.
While the artist continues to search for more historical information, his presentation offers insights into what he has already learned, from ledger art to the Northern Plains, as well as discussion about his own journey as a sculptor and painter.
Admission to “Native American Ledger Art with Oreland C. Joe” is free. Desert Foothills Library is located at 38443 N. Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek 85331. For directions or additional information call Desert Foothills Library at 480-488-2286 or Cave Creek Museum at 480-488-2764.
