Ledger art to be featured at Ninepipes
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CHARLO – Ledger art is an art form that dates back to the mid-19th century when Plains Indians made sketches to memorialize the deeds of young warriors using ink, watercolors or pencil on the pages of old ledger books. A revival of this art form began in the 1960s and enjoys great popularity today. The Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana is pleased to announce that David Dragonfly, a Blackfeet-Assiniboine artist from Browning, will showcase his ledger art at the “First Saturday” reception from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 1.
Dragonfly learned to make jewelry and carve stone while attending the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting in 1988 from the University of Montana. He states his influences for printmaking are his native cultures and the “beautiful landscapes of the Blackfeet Reservation and the state of Montana,” as well as his former professors Don Bunse and Jim Todd. Dragonfly’s style is evocative of the pictographic art found in Montana and Canada; a style with clean lines and broad, strong colors. He has been a featured artist at the Northern Plains Tribal Art Show in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and participated in a number of shows including the Heard Museum Indian Fair, the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles, the Cherokee Art Market and the Helena Indian Market. Art lovers will recognize his name from his many appearances at the Great Falls Native American Art Show in Great Falls, and his work may be found at the Heritage Center and Lodgepole Gallery in Browning.
Be sure to put July 1 on your calendar to enjoy a rare opportunity on this side of the Continental Divide to view Dragonfly’s beautiful artwork. The museum and gift shop is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and will be open on the Fourth of July. Call 406-644-3435 with questions or to schedule a group tour.
