Oscar Howe

We did a study this week on Native American artist Oscar Howe. Oscar Howe (1915-1983) was born at Joe Creek, SD on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation. He was descended from Yanktoni Sioux chiefs. As a child he lived in poverty and lost his mother at an early age. When school age he was sent to the military-styled Pierre Indian School. Because of a skin condition, harsh rules and the extreme change from his accustomed home life, Howe ran away repeatedly, and was finally sent home. His Grandmother Shell Face began to teach him traditional Native American hide painting. She also instructed him in Native American traditions and legends.

In 1935 Howe contracted tuberculosis and was sent to the famous Santa Fe Indian School where he met teacher Dorothy Dunn, who nurtured his talent. He began with traditional Native styles but later began to develop his own style. He was at the school until 1938. After graduating at age 20 he worked in laborer jobs and then taught high school and painted murals.

Howe served in Germany in WW II where he met his German wife. He attended Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Oklahoma Univesity. He designed the murals for the Mitchell Corn Palace from 1948-1971.

He became a Professor of Art at the University of South Dakota in 1957 and taught there until 1983. Because of the unusal linear style he developed, he was rejected from Native American art shows for non-traditonal style. Howe's protest letter eventually opened up the Native American art world to new directions in style. He was named South Dakota Artist Laureat in 1960.

 

After hearing about Howe's life in class, we looked at examples of traditional Native American art, talked about traditional colors, then showed examples of Howe's art so they could compare styles. We did a study of his painting Eagle Dancer. I copied the main lines by pencil over tracing paper, then outlined those in thin Sharpie. Then I printed them off for the kids to color with Prismacolors.