Buffalo Tales

Dwayne Wilcox

February 7th to May 17th

Dwayne “Chuck” Wilcox was born in 1957 in Kadoka, South Dakota, where he grew up and attended most of his schooling on the Pine Ridge Reservation as an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota. He has been drawing all his life and is a self-taught artist. He received his first commission in 1974, at just 17 years old, when he and another young artist, Tom Sitting Up, were hired to paint a mural for an arrow factory. Despite his passion for art and already receiving a commission at such a young age, Wilcox felt that pursuing art as a full-time career would not be sustainable- a situation that many artists can relate to- and joined the military, serving in the United States Air Force from 1980 to 1984, during which time he continued to produce art and he met his wife who was a military nurse. Following his service, Wilcox became a full-time artist in 1987 and spent the next 15 years establishing his career and developing a following, and has advanced from arts-in-the-park style shows to exhibiting his work at some of America’s most prestigious institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian, Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, Peabody Museum at Harvard University, Museum of Nebraska Art, Charles M. Russell Museum, and National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. During his illustrious career, he has been awarded the
South Dakota Governor's Award in the Art for Distinction in Creative Achievement. He has also been the recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Fellowship and a Bush Artist Fellowship.

Viewers will immediately notice that the vibrant stylized illustrations Wilcox creates are not drawn on Bristol board or charcoal paper, but ledger paper. That is because Wilcox is working in a tradition called ledger art. The practice began in the late 1800’s during the Reservation Era, when the buffalo hides that would have traditionally been used became scarce due to colonization. The peoples of the Great Plains adapted and utilized the accessible ledger paper brought by the colonizers. In addition to preserving cultural traditions, ledger artists were also creating records of historical events through their own voice, which otherwise would not be heard in accounts created by the U.S. military. The tradition of ledger art continues today, and Dwayne Wilcox is among some of the best-known contemporary ledger artists like Lauren Good Day Giago, Terrance Guardipee, and Jerry Yellowhawk, just to name a few. As with any genre, the artists working within the style share certain recognizable touchstones, but their own interpretations, styles, and personal influences shine through.

One of the recognizable qualities often seen in Wilcox’s work is his sharp wit and his ability to deliver commentary through his imagery paired with punchy one-liner titles. However, that’s not to say that he is confined by satirical political commentary. There are pieces that have no punchline, just a harsh reality that demand your attention, and other works that are lighthearted, like On Vacation, in which a buffalo enjoys a cigar and a margarita on the beach. The exhibit Buffalo Tales will feature over 20 ledger drawings as well as some mixed media sculptures. The exhibit opens on February 7th and will be on display in the White Gallery until May 17th.