Main Gallery
Coyote, Deer and Gold
The Karen & Malcom Whyte Collection of Contemporary American Indian Art in California
January 23 - March 7, 2010
Curated by Dieter Tremp
Harry Eugene Fonesca, L. Frank (L. Frank Manriquez), Frank LaPena and Fritz Scholder
“This exhibition reflects the inspiration American Indian artists find in their heritage and through their ever-expanding exploration of the world around them. Together these dynamic forces create a powerful gift of a uniquely American art form.”
– Malcom Whyte
Harry Eugene Fonesca (1946-2006) was born in Sacramento, California of Nisenan Maidu, Hawaiian and Portuguese lineage. He studied art at sacrament City College and with Frank LaPena, then left to pursue his own vision. He explores a wide range of techniques, mediums and subjects. He has traveled widely and shared his art internationally.
L. Frank (L. Frank Manriquez) is American Indian artist, writer, scholar, cartoonist and community activist. Born in Santa Monica in 1952, she belongs to the Tongva / Ajachman tribes.She has won prestigious awards for her art and is active and influential in promoting preservation of Native Californian culture.
Frank LaPena, born in San Francisco in 1937, is an internationally renowned painter, educator and poet. He studied with his Nomtipom Wintu tribal elders as well as elders from neighboring tribes. He is he founding member of Maidu Dancers and Traditionalists dedicated to preserving native arts. He has exhibited acrsoss the U.S. and internationally.
Fritz Scholder (1937-2005) was highly influential and controversial in the development of American Indian art. His paintings, sculpture, printmaking and photography span five-decades. He studied with Wayne Thiebaud and graduated from California State University in Sacramento. As an artist “He blazed a way for Indian artists to express their true personal and cultural views” writes Whyte.