(b. 1956 -)Born in Crownpoint, New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation, Emmi Whitehorse attended a government boarding school and showed an early fascination for drawing horses. As a professional artist, she is known for her serene, dream-like abstract images, often with symbolic meaning of her culture. Many of these images suggest plant forms or animals. Philosophically, she is a strong feminist. Her mentors include her grandmother and her junior high art teacher, Kathleen Hueser, as well as Harmony Hammond at the University of New Mexico. From Hammond, she learned to free herself from from traditional methods and to work on large surfaces or grounds rather than smaller, more constraining ones. Her method is to layer chalk, turpentine and oil on paper and then draw with oil bars and litho crayons. Then she glues the paper to canvas and achieves a soft, atmospheric effect. She was raised near Chaco Canyon and grew to love the Southwest landscape. Her Native American family lived a nomadic existence and did not have modern conveniences such as electricity. For about six years, she lived away from her home state, moving to Connecticut, but separation from her own culture had a negative effect on her work, and she returned to New Mexico. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is from the artist: EDUCATION: 1980 B.A., University of New Mexico, Major in Painting1982 M.A., University of New Mexico, Major in Printmaking, Minor in Art History SELECTED SOLO MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS: 2001 Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE2000 Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN1997 Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ1995 Westtfalisches Museum, Munster, Germany1993 Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos, NM1991 "Neeznáá" The Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, NM1988 Yuma Art Center, Yuma, AZ1982 Sun Valley Center for Arts & Humanities, Sun Valley, ID1980 Galleria del Cavallino, Venice, Italy GROUP MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS 2002 "Common Ground: Contemporary Native American Art from the TMAPermanent Collection and Private Collections" Tucson Museum of Art. Tucson, AZ2002 "Western Visions: Pop, Perspective and Politics" Center for the Visual Arts, Metropolitan State College of Denver.2002 "New Classics" Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO2001 "New Prints 2001" International Print Center NY, NY1998 Group Show, Margo Jacobsen Gallery, Portland, OR1999 "Storylines", Colorado University Art Galleries, University of Colorado, Boulder."Taos, Albuquerque, Santa Fe", Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, IA"Nourishing Hearts, Creative Hands", Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VAUrban Institute of Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, IA1996-97 "Contemporary Art in New Mexico", SITE Santa Fe, NM1996 "New Art of the West 5", Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana1994 American Academy of Arts and Letters, Purchase Exhibition, NY, NY1991 "Presswork, The Art of Women Printmakers" National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. (traveling show)1990 "Primavera" Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ.Centro Cultural de la Raza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA1989 "Six from Santa Fe", Gibbs Museum of Art, Charleston, SC1988 "Mask", The Old Pueblo Museum, Tucson, AZ1985 "Eight Artists", The Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, CA"Women of the American West", Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT1984 "She Holds Her Own", The Green County Council on the Arts, Catskill, NY"Contemporary Native American Art Exhibition", OK State University. Stillwater, OK.1982 "Modern Native American Abstraction", The Philadelphia Art Alliance Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. (traveling show)1981 "Confluences of Configuration and Change", Nelson Gallery, University of CA, Davis, CA: Museum of the Southwest, Midland, TX: The A.I.C.H. Gallery, NY, NY: The Brunnier Gallery, Iowa State University, Dubuque, IA"Grey Canyon Group", The Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ"Works on Paper", University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (traveling show)1980 "Grey Canyon Group", University of ND, Grand Forks, SD; The Southern Plains Museum, Anadarko, OK: The Sioux Land Heritage Museum, Sioux Falls, SD: Galleria de Cavalina, Venice, Italy; Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, NM (traveling show)1979 "Grey Canyon Group", Gallery Upstairs, Berkeley, CA; Downtown Center for the Arts, Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. (traveling show) SELECTED SOLO GALLERY EXHIBITIONS (NORTH AMERICA) 2002 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NMMainsite Gallery, Norman, OKVanier Gallery, Tucson, AZ2001 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NMJan Cicero Gallery, Chicago, IL2000 Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago, ILVanier Gallery, Scottsdale, AZLewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NMMainsite Gallery, Norman, OK1999 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NMJan Cicero Gallery, Chicago, IL1998 LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM1997 Cline LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM1996 Cicero Gallery, Chicago, ILJan Weiner Gallery, Kansas City, KSJan Maiden Gallery, Columbus, OHBentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ1995 Jan Maiden Gallery, Columbus, OH1994 Horwitch LewAllen Gallery, Santa Fe, NMBentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ1993 Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZLewAllen Gallery, Santa Fe, NM1992 Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago, ILWill Thompson Gallery, Telluride, COThe Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA1991 LewAllen/Butler Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM (also 89, 88, 87)Thomas Riley Gallery, Chicago, IL1989 Marilyn Butler Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ (also 1985)1984 Art Resources, Denver, COA.I.C.A. Gallery, San Francisco, CA (also 1985) SELECTED SOLO GALLERY EXHIBITIONS (EUROPE) 1995 Homme Art, Antwerp, Belgium1993 Hartje Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany (also, 91, 90, 87)1991 Karin Iserhagen Galerie, Basel, Switzerland1984 Akmak Gallery, West Berlin, Germany SELECTED GROUP GALLERY EXHIBITIONS 2002 "Summer Group Show", Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago, IL2002 "Summer Group Show", LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM2000 "Summer Group Show", Jan Cicero Gallery, Chicago, IL1996 "Native Streams", touring exhibition, Jan Cicero Gallery (Chicago), Titurman Art Gallery (Indiana), Holter Art Museum (Montana), Southern Ohio Museum (Ohio), South Bend Regional Art Museum (Indiana), Emerson Art Center, (Indiana).1994 "Self Portrait", group show, David Rettig Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ1992 New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM1988 Ann Reed Gallery, Sun Valley, ID1987 Read Stremmel Gallery, San Antonio, TX1985 "Visage Transcended", A.I.C.A., San Francisco, CA (traveling show)"Women of Sweetgrass, Sage and Cedar:, A.I.C.H. Gallery, NY, NY (traveling show)"Artists Under Thirty", The Silvermine Guild, New Canaan, CT1984 Marilyn Butler Fine Art, Santa Fe, N.M. and Scottsdale, AZ.2003 "The Southwest Scene", The Brentwood Gallery, St. Louis, MO."Native Artists of the Eighties", The Sacred Circle Gallery, Seattle, WA.1982 "Taos to Tucson", The Foundations Gallery, NY, NY"Native Woman Artists", The A.I.C.H. Gallery, NY, NY OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY 2001 "Lasting Impressions", fundraising portfolio for the College of Fine Arts, University of Arizona, Tucson.1996 Project Coordinator, City of Gallup, New Mexico1995 "Seinsichten Aus Welten", 2nd Internationales Künstelerpleinair. Artists exchange, Rostock, Germany. PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NMAmerican Embassy, Tokyo, JapanArizona State University, Tempe, AZArt Bank/Art in Embassies, U.S. Dept of State, Washington, DCCentral Michigan University Library, Mt Pleasant, MICentral Plains Clinic Art Collection, Sioux Falls, SDCitibank NA, Long Island City, NYCorning University, Corning, NYDenver Art Museum, Denver, COGateway Park Hotel, Phoenix, AZHallmark Collection, Kansas City, MOHeard Museum, Phoenix, AZHughes Aircraft Company, CAIBM, Tarrytown, NYJoslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NEJP Morgan, New York, NYMemorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, Rochester NYMerchants National Bank, IAMerrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner&Smith, Inc., Sun City, AZMountain Bell, Denver, COMuseum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NMNordstroms, Seattle WAPaine-Webber Group, NEPhelps Dodge Corp., Phoenix, AZPhoenician Resort, Scottsdale, AZPrudential Insurance, Newark, NJRockwell Museum of Western Art, Corning, NYSea-First National Bank, Seattle, WASmith College Museum of Art, Northampton, MASt. Louis Museum, St. Louis, MOState Capital Collections, State of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NMStorage Tek Collection, Denver, COTucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZUniversity of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZValley Bank of Nevada, Reno, NVWeber State University, Provo. UTWesttfalisches Museum, Munster, GermanyWheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, NM SELECTED PUBLICATIONS European: 2001. Giere, J. Konfrontationen, Fritz Bauer Institut.1999. Henricks, A., Ed. Begegnungen. Munster, Ibbenburener Vereinsdruckerei.1999. Kr_i_nik, Zoran. International Biennial of Graphic Art. Ljubljana, Slovenia. International Centre of Graphic Arts.1995. Daneels, M. emmi whitehorse. Antwerp. Galerie hom'art.1995. Mittrenga, Susan. Seinsichten aus Welten. Rostock, Germany. Internationales Künstlerpleinair.1989. Momaday, N. S. Abshied von der edlen Rothaqut. Geo: 38-44.1985. Hoffman, G., Ed. Indianische Kunst im 20. Munich, Jahrhundert. American: 2002. Investing in Our Cultural Treasures. Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Vol. 2 No.2. Santa Fe.2002. Alvarez, T. Native American Artists Make 'Lasting Impressions' With Master Printer's Help.Research: A Journal of Creative Activity. University of Arizona. Tucson.2001.Campbell, S. The American West: People, Places, and Ideas. Corning Press. Corning.2001. Dubin, M. Native America Collected: The Culture of an Art World. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.2001. Wolgamott, Kent. Water Works. Lincoln Journal Star. September 23. Omaha.2000. Doss, E. Expanded Visions. Women of the West Museum. Denver.1999. Rushing III, W. J. Native American Art in the Twentieth Century. New York, Routledge.1999. Broder, P. J. Earth Songs, Moon Dreams. New York, St. Martin's Press.1998. Sze, A. "sense of place." Frank: An International Journal of Contemporary Writing & Art 16/17: 97.1998. Taos, Albuquerque, Santa Fe: The City Series. Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.1997. Janice Monk, V. N. "The Desert Is No Lady." Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies XVIII(3): 110-129.1997 Adelmann, J. Contemporary Art in New Mexico. Craftsman House.1997 Moon-Sun, Walkingstick Press1997 Hagerty, D. J. Leading the West. Flagstaff, Northland Press.1996 Pen, W.S. (ed) -The Telling of the World. Stewart, Tabori & Chang.1994 Kate, J. Messengers of the Wind. New York, Ballantine Books.1994 Landau, D., Ed. Sun Moon: Myths, Tales, and Visions. Berkeley, The Nature Company.1993 Ellis, S. Santa Fe Art, Crescent Books.1993 Jeffri, J., Ed. The Painter Speaks. Contributions to the Study of Art and Architecture. Westport, Greenwood Press.1992 Grant, M. American Southwest: A People and Their Landscape. San Diego, Thunder Bay Press.1992 Turner, D. G., Ed. Artists of 20th-Century New Mexico. Santa Fe, Museum of New Mexico Press.1992 Abbott, L. Caliban II. Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press.1991 Lippard, L. R. Neezná. Wheelwright Museum Catalog.1991 Melkonian, N. Emmi Whitehorse. Arts Magazine. 66: 72.1991 Neeznaa. The Messenger. Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe.1989 Campbell, E. "Artists' Symposium." Puerto del Sol 24(2): 99-123.(1988). Stewart, K. Portfolio II. New York, A.I.C.A.(1988). An Interview with Emmi Whitehorse. Magical Blend Magazine: 4-9.(1987). Janice Monk, V. N., Ed. The Desert Is No Lady: Southwestern Landscapes in Women's Writing and Art. New Haven, Yale University Press.1987 Hoffman, G. Frames of Reference: Native American Art in the Context of Modern and Post Modern Art. Artspace: 24-30.1982 Traugot, J. Emmi Whitehorse - Kin'nah'zin. Artspace: 40-41.1981). Confluences of Tradition and Change. Artspace: 12-13. Video Interviews: 1980). The Grey Canyon Artists, University of North Dakota.1988). Un Jour si Rouge. Lobstein, P. Paris.1997). Monk, J. The Desert is No Lady. J. Monk, Arts Council of England.1991). Neeznaa. Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe.
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