The Boy exhibits at the Clack Museum

Vernon Joseph The Boy, 57, is a prolific painter of portraits of Indian personalities.

He has a large clientele that commissions him to paint portraits of relatives.

Typical are portraits of Little Bear, legendary Cree leader in Canada and the United States, and Young Boy, a Cree friend of Charles M. Russell.

The works of The Boy will be shown at the Clack Museum art gallery Wednesday through Aug. 11. The opening reception will be Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Heritage Center.

The Boy is an enrolled member of the Gros Ventre Tribe of Fort Belknap. Since 1967, he has made his home on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation.

The Boy has worked several years in the Rocky Boy system as an illustrator of children's books. He has also done extensive artwork designing Christmas cards, posters, signs and large wall murals.

The Boy is largely self-taught and does mostly multi-media and sculptures. He studied art at Northern Montana College one year. He has entered several of his pieces in various art competitions throughout Montana. In 1989, his entry was selected for the Montana statehood stamp to commemorate 100 years of statehood.

The Boy's pastel entry earned an honorable mention in the Native American art section at the 2002 Charles M. Russell Art Show and Auction.