Winyan Tate (Wind Woman):
Selected Works by Arthur Short Bull (1991 - Present)
On display at RedLine June 23-August 9, 2023
On display at RedLine’s Satellite Studio East Street School September 8-November 19, 2023
Join us for the opening reception at East Street School on September 8, 6-9pm.
Curated by Kate Wootton.
About Winyan Tate (Wind Woman)
Over the last three decades, Arthur Short Bull has produced over 17 series of watercolor paintings that considers the history and mystery of the landscape in which he resides.
From Pine Ridge, South Dakota to most recently La Veta, Colorado, Short Bull’s works hold the quiet but what can feel like ominous moments of the western landscape.
This exhibition is a selection of work that considers Short Bull’s recurring figure of Winyan Tate, or “Wind Woman.”
Introduced in the early 90’s, when reflecting on the horrors of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, Short Bull integrates her to often acknowledge and carry the memory and honor of the Indigenous lives lost by the brutalities of the colonial west.
About Arthur Short Bull
Arthur Short Bull (Tatanka Ptecila) of the Oglala Lakota was born on February 13, 1954, on The Pine Ridge Reservation. Short Bull was raised on White Clay Creek, “Makasan,” west of Oglala. His great-grandfather was Grant Short Bull, uncle to Amos Bad Heart Bull and younger brother of He Dog, the last of the men who rode with Crazy Horse.
In 1891, Amos Bad Heart Bull, accompanied by his uncle, Grant Short Bull, went to a dry goods store in Crawford, Nebraska to buy a ledger book. In the course of that year, aided by his uncle’s first-hand knowledge, Bad Heart Bull began the illustrated story of the life of the Oglala Lakotas. It is his lineage, and this storytelling tradition that has inspired Short Bull to preserve and honor his Lakota heritage through paintings and poetry.
1n 1991, while working in administrative and field positions as a substance abuse counselor for IHS (Indian Health Services) treatment centers in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Missouri, painting and poetry acted as a release and coping method for the stress and the suffering he witnessed.
Painting has allowed Short Bull to express emotions and deal with questions around the whys and wherefores of what has transpired over the last few centuries regarding Native Americans. His paintings and poems serve as a vehicle to promote Lakota culture and history. He sees his work as an educational tool to reach out to the Native community, primarily youth, to increase their knowledge of Native history.
In addition to Short Bull’s exploration of Lakota heritage through his paintings and poetry, his subject matter includes the landscape and wildlife of the Rocky Mountain West. Short Bull’s paintings appear in private and public collections throughout the United States and Europe.
About the Roots Radical Exhibition Program
Every year, RedLine hosts exhibitions within a social justice-focused Exhibition Program. Our 2022-2023 Exhibition Program is titled Roots Radical: An Exploration into Indigenous Ancestry and Experience.
Roots Radical supports Native-led organizations and artists, and the deeper exploration of our communities’ collective ancestry and Indigenous histories.
Support for Winyan Tate (Wind Woman)
RedLine would like to thank the generous support of our Roots Radical program sponsors including the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, David & Laura Merage Foundation, Meow Wolf, Native American Bank, and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.
