Museum of the Plains Indian to Feature Gordon Monroe in New Exhibition

MUSEUM OF THE PLAINS INDIAN TO FEATURE GORDON MONROE IN A SPECIAL EXHIBITION

March 10, 2015

BROWNING, MT: The Museum of the Plains Indian, administered by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the U.S. Department of the Interior, announces the opening of the exhibition Sculpture by Gordon Monroe on Friday, March 13, 2015, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The opening is free to the public, and refreshments will be served. The artist will be in attendance to discuss his work with the public.

Gordon Monroe, an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe, was born in 1946 in Browning, Montana, on the Blackfeet Reservation. Gordon graduated from the Browning Public School System, and earned a 2-year business degree from Blackfeet Community College. In addition to a 40 year career as a professional artist, Gordon serves on the Blackfeet Honorary Advisory Council researching topics such as water, land, and land recovery efforts for the Blackfeet Tribe.

In his early career, Gordon held various jobs in the area before he began work at the Big Horn Art Foundry in Browning in 1968. The foundry was owned and operated by Robert Scriver, a nationally known western sculptor. Because of its location and distance from urban centers, the foundry employed many Blackfeet tribal members. Working under Scriver’s supervision, Gordon was offered the unique opportunity to learn the entire spectrum of lost wax casting, from the creation of the clay model to the pouring of the finished bronze. As his knowledge and expertise in its techniques grew, so did his interest in the art form. This led Gordon to begin working in clay at home. As Gordon became a more confident sculptor, he began using his acquired skills to cast and exhibit his artwork. He works with water clay to produce ceramic sculptures, oil clay to produce bronze sculptures, and fiberglass for much larger pieces. The inspiration he draws from historical sources and discussions with elders influence the style of his sculpture.

In 1973, Gordon Monroe’s sculpture was featured in his first solo exhibition at the Museum of the Plains Indian. Over the next several decades, his work received national acclaim and has been featured in exhibitions at: the C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana; Native American Museum of Art, Spokane, Washington, the Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana, and the Heard Museum, Phoenix Arizona.

The Museum of the Plains Indian is managed by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, U.S. Department of the Interior. This exhibition will continue through May 22, 2015, and may be viewed Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Museum of the Plains Indian is located at 19 Museum Loop, Browning, Montana. For more information please contact the museum at (406) 338-2230.