DRAWING

Description: BLACK INK ON A WHITE BACKGROUND. PICTURES A NATIVE IN TRADITIONAL DRESS, SITTING ON A HORSE, HOLDING A SPEAR IN ONE HAND. HORSE IS ATOP A KNOLL AND VISIBLE IN THE DISTANCE IS SMOKE FROM A FIRE. IN FOREGROUND IS A BUFFALO SKULL. THERE IS ALSO A BIRD IN THE SKY IN THE BACKGROUND. IN BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER IS "ALLEN WELLS". DRAWING IS FRAMED BY GRAY AND WHITE MATTES. IN BOTTOM CENTER OF WHITE MATTE IS A METAL LABEL THAT READS "WHEN THE REDMAN SPEAKS". DRAWING IS IN A BLACK PAINTED ALUMINUM FRAME WITH A GLASS INSERT; HAS A CARDBOARD BACKING.

History: ACQUIRED BY WILMA WOOD, DIRECTOR OF THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES FROM 1999 TO 2002. DRAWING IS AN ORIGINAL AND ONE OF A KIND; THE ARTIST, ALLEN WELLS, STATES HE RARELY MAKES PRINTS OF HIS WORKS SO THAT EVERY BUYER KNOWS THEY HAVE SOMETHING ORIGINAL. WELLS BELIEVES WORK WAS DONE CA. 1995, BUT CANNOT BE SURE AS HE DOES NOT DATE HIS WORK SO THAT THE VIEWER CAN MAKE THEIR OWN INTERPRETATIONS. ARTIST EXPLAINS THAT TITLE OF WORK REFERS TO THE SMOKE SIGNAL IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE PICTURE, WHICH IS THE TRADITIONAL FORM OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NATIVE PEOPLES. WELLS IS A MEMBER OF THE BLOOD TRIBE, LIVING SOUTHWEST OF STAND OFF AND HAS DONE ART ALL HIS LIFE. HE CURRENTLY DOES ARTWORK FOR SOUTHERN MONUMENT AND FOR THE BLOOD TRIBE (CHILDREN'S SERVICES; EDUCATION). ARTIST MAKES PINS OUT OF STONE WHICH HAVE SOLD AT RODEOS AND CRAFT SHOWS THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN UNITED STATES AND CANADA. WELLS DEPICTS NATIVE CULTURE AND THE SPORT OF RODEO AS "THESE THINGS ARE THE CENTRE OF [HIS] LIFE AND [HIS] WORK SHOWS [HE] IS PROUD TO BE A NATIVE". ONE OF HIS PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS IS HE HAD HIS LOGO CHOSEN FOR THE 6TH WORLD INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION, HELD IN 2002 IN MORLEY, ALBERTA. HE ALSO ILLUSTRATED THE BOOK KIPAITAPIIWAHSINNOUNI: ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND CREATED CARTOONS FOR THE BLOOD TRIBE NEWS. ARTIST DOES VARIOUS ART SHOWS BUT HAS ONLY HAD HIS WORK IN A GALLERY ONCE. SEE HARD COPY FOR FOR MORE INFO.