'Okimahskwew' by Whitney Top Sky featured at Northern

Press release 

To celebrate American Indian History Month, the invited artist at Montana State University-Northern is Whitney TopSky. She received a Bachelor of Art in education from the University of Montana. She is presenting the piece "Okimahskwew," which means Lady Chief in Cree language. Top Sky says that in her art she tries to convey strong traditions of the Chippewa and Cree tribes through the use of contemporary materials. She incorporates drawing, photographs, and sometimes collage with fabric. TopSky added that much of her artwork is inspired by powwows and sewing outfits. "Okimahskwew" is a 14-inch by 17-inch pencil drawing in color in the ledger art technique. Ledger art is a form of narrative from the Plains Indians that flourished approximately from the 1860s to the 1920s. Tribes of this region would draw narrative or paint on paper or cloth. In fact, "Okimahskwew" is drawn on an accounting book page. 

Northern's 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 call 265-3589.