Oscar Howe

A Yanktonnais Sioux, Oscar Howe was born in 1915 on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation in central South Dakota. He broke barriers in the world of Native American art. He fused traditional forms with modernist expression, boldly claiming space for Indigenous creativity in contemporary art. Throughout his life, he received many awards and exhibited his work widely, some even being shown and collected by major museums in New York, London, and Paris. Howe is considered the most innovative and modern Native American artist of his remarkable generation and is a major influence on the course of Native American Art today. His artwork speaks to people from around the world who know little or nothing about the artist or his Native American heritage. He served in World War II and later was an art instructor at DWU and designed the Corn Palace Murals for many years. 

The Oscar Howe Art Gallery, founded in 1972, showcases his legacy throughout his work. He challenged stereotypes and inspired future generations of native artist to assert their voices and visions. How also painted the dome of the Carnegie Library in Mitchell, South Dakota and several large murals in the Mobridge Auditorium in Mobridge, South Dakota.

Pause here to view the Oscar Howe Art Gallery.

Please make your way outside to the outdoor village. In the village visit the Farwell Church organized in 1880 and built in 1908, the Sheldon School built in 1884, the Dimock Depot built in 1914 and the Beckwith House built in 1886.

Pause here to make your way to the outdoor exhibit. Start at the Farwell Church.