Baaéetitchish, meaning “One Who is Talented,” references the Apsáalooke name artist Wendy Red Star received while visiting her home, the Apsáalooke (Crow) Indian Reservation in Montana. It’s the original name of her grand-uncle, Clive Francis Dust, Sr., known in her family for his creativity as a cultural keeper.
For her CAP gallery exhibition at Joslyn Art Museum, Red Star developed an immersive, site-specific installation that draws upon the 1898 Indian Congress, a convening of over thirty Native American tribes during Nebraska’s Trans-Mississippi Exhibition that celebrated American Westward expansion.
The exhibition borrows from and reframes her research into exposition photographs, memorabilia, and historic sites in Omaha and Montana, particularly taking from Omaha Public Library’s vast collection of Frank Rinehart (1861-1928) photographs. A Nebraskan famous for his portraits of Indian Congress members, Rinehart captured an image of White Swan, a well-known Apsáalooke scout.
Wendy Red Star opens on January 30th and runs through April 25th at Joslyn Art Museum. The museum is located at 2200 Dodge Street and is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a late close on Thursdays at 8 p. (Provigil) m. For more information, visit www.joslyn.org.