American Indian sculptor to give presentation

ORONO – Internationally acclaimed American Indian sculptor and printmaker Marvin Oliver will visit the University of Maine Feb. 26-28. His activities will include a public reception and lecture, “An Artist’s Perspective on Contemporary Trends in Northwest Coast Art,” on Wednesday, Feb. 27.

The reception will begin at 6 p.m. in the area adjacent to the Northwest Coast exhibit in the Hudson Museum. The lecture is at 7 p.m. in the Class of 1944 Hall. Both events are free and open to the public.

Oliver also will conduct a free tour of the Hudson Museum’s Northwest Coast Gallery 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26.

“I like to experiment with my art, to use a variety of materials, to do it all,” said Oliver. “These activities will provide an overview of what I do, which reflects my contemporary approach to Northwest Coast art.”

During the reception, Oliver will interact with participants, answer questions and comment on pieces. He will also present a slide show of Northwest Coast art, including slides detailing the process of making his art, such as glassworks techniques.

Oliver is renowned for his ability to combine new techniques and materials with the traditional structure and style of Northwest Coast art.

His innovations include working with materials such as bronze, steel and glass and applying computer, laser and water-cutting technologies to the process.

Oliver compares his use of technology to the way previous generations of Northwest Coast artists adapted their art after contact with Europeans and other early American nations, learning new skills such as silversmithing and sewing.

“These techniques and materials don’t break the traditional forms – they enhance them. I don’t abstract to the degree that you lose the presence or elegance of the Northwest Coast style,” he said.

“This continues the tradition of Northwest Coast art, because the early Northwest Coast pieces were very innovative in those days. You see the pieces in museums and you think of them as traditional art but they were very contemporary at the time,” he added.

Northwest Coast art is distinctive for the way it utilizes particular shapes – such as u’s, lines and ovals – to generate an image such as a raven, a bear, or something purely abstract.

UMaine’s Hudson Museum has a nationally recognized collection of Northwest Coast art.

“I try to explain the importance of learning the traditional forms of Northwest Coast art. Then you can experiment – and then the sky’s the limit,” Oliver said.

Oliver, a Visiting Libra Professor of Diversity at UMaine, an associate professor of American Indian Studies, and an adjunct in Art History at the University of Washington, has been teaching a spring semester course at UMaine using two-way video technology from his base in Washington.

The course, “Two Dimensional Art of the Northwest Coast Indian,” teaches students how to interpret and create the type of art that can be found on many old, traditional Northwest Coast pieces, such as painted storage boxes, chests, house panels and ceremonial screens.

Oliver’s other activities at UMaine will include conducting two Northwest Coast art classes, meeting with American Indian students, faculty and staff and visiting a North American Indian history class and a printmaking class. This is Oliver’s second visit to UMaine this semester.

Oliver is of Quinault/Isleta-Pueblo heritage. His prints, masks, helmets and wood panels are on display at his galleries in Seattle and Ketchikan, Alaska. A number of his works, especially large-scale sculptures, have been installed throughout the U.S., Canada and Japan. Oliver’s works may be viewed online at http://www.marvinoliver.com.

The Hudson Museum Shop is also carrying Oliver’s works.