Cochrane artist of the month at Northern's Multicultural Center

Press release

The artist of the month of February at Montana State University-Northern's Multicultural Center is Joseph "Joe" Cochrane.

Cochrane was born at the Blood Indian Hospital Jan. 12, 1943, in the Blood Reserve in Alberta, Canada; he came from a large family with 12 siblings.

He started drawing during his early school years at Standoff Day School. A few of his friends and he used to go back to the school after dinner, so they could draw. A local artist, Two Gun, seeing their interest, started coming to the school to teach them about art. Two Gun taught them how to mix colors and paint with oil. Two Gun painted scenery, and he had his students to look at all the different colors in nature.

"His most important advice I remember was to never copy someone else's work," Cochrane said. "Two Gun encouraged us to paint what was in our minds and memories."

In his home 20 years ago, Cochrane started painting again and sold his paintings to local people and the tribal administration. He said he renewed his love for painting when he moved to Havre a few years ago. He creates oil paintings of scenery and some other pieces related to his Blackfoot culture.

"I don't sell them, but I give them to my grandchildren and great-grandchildrenm" Cochrane said. "My wife also has a collection." 

These days, he said, oil painting is one of his hobbies.

Cochrane is presenting in the Multicultural Center the piece "Moving Camp," oil, 19x16. It depicts a woman who is moving from camp to camp with her two children and dogs.

"It is just a scene in my head," he said, adding the woman is leading a horse and the horse is painted with some sort of war story.

The MSU-N Office of Diversity Awareness and Multicultural Programs invites local and regional artists to exhibit their pieces, preferably those that have some link to multicultural themes. For more information, contact [email protected] or cal 265-3589.