Nespelem (art)
Encyclopedia
Nespelem art was both a movement and colony focused on Native Americans
, located in the Nespelem River
area of Washington, home to the Colville Confederated Tribes. Established around 1937, artists were called upon to record Native American culture and the history of a group of significant individuals involved with American Indian events of the late 19th-century Northwest.
Unlike the art movement in western Washington and Oregon, which emphasized Asian genres among others, the location drew attention to the past, the future, and a dying culture. These elements combined to create an ideal setting for artists to capture memorable scenes for future generations.
The colony was founded by Worth Griffin and Clyfford Still
, who created the first extensive visual record of the Nespelem people. Griffin and Still admitted 15 to 20 students at a time into the colony, of which some were professionals. They put in exhaustive hours during the week on portraits and landscapes, then sketched at Grand Coulee
on weekends. Finished works went in many directions, including some bequeathed to the Washington State Historical Society.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, located in the Nespelem River
Nespelem River
The Nespelem River is a northern tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is completely contained within Okanogan County and the Colville Indian Reservation....
area of Washington, home to the Colville Confederated Tribes. Established around 1937, artists were called upon to record Native American culture and the history of a group of significant individuals involved with American Indian events of the late 19th-century Northwest.
Unlike the art movement in western Washington and Oregon, which emphasized Asian genres among others, the location drew attention to the past, the future, and a dying culture. These elements combined to create an ideal setting for artists to capture memorable scenes for future generations.
The colony was founded by Worth Griffin and Clyfford Still
Clyfford Still
Clyfford Still was an American painter, and one of the leading figures of Abstract Expressionism.-Biography:...
, who created the first extensive visual record of the Nespelem people. Griffin and Still admitted 15 to 20 students at a time into the colony, of which some were professionals. They put in exhaustive hours during the week on portraits and landscapes, then sketched at Grand Coulee
Grand Coulee
The Grand Coulee is an ancient river bed in the U.S. state of Washington. This National Natural Landmark stretches for about sixty miles southwest from Grand Coulee Dam to Soap Lake, being bisected by Dry Falls into the Upper and Lower Grand Coulee....
on weekends. Finished works went in many directions, including some bequeathed to the Washington State Historical Society.