Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CHIEFS OF THE PLAINS

Date

1981

Materials

WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Length

76.0

Width

50.6

Description

WATERCOLOR ON BOARD. PORTRAIT OF CHIEF SHOT BOTH SIDES SR., FORMER HEAD CHIEF OF BLOODS. SYMBOLS OF A BALD EAGLE, & 3 GRAZING BUFFALO ARE PART OF THE PORTRAIT. TITLED: "CHIEFS OF THE PLAINS". SIGNED: "NIITSITAIPAIYI" BR. DATED & COPYRIGHTED BY ARTIST.

Subjects

INDIGENOUS

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

ARTIST BORN IN 1935 ON KAINAI RESERVE, WORKED FOR H.B.C. & FREELANCE AS A COMMERCIAL ARTIST. RETURNED TO RESERVE IN 1960, & BECAME FULLTIME ARTIST OF WESTERN SUBJECTS BY 1980. HIS WORK IS OWNED BY VINCENT MASSEY, (A FORMER GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA), PRINCE CHARLES THE PRINCE OF WALES, THE ALBERTA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS & OTHERS. HIS WORK HAS BEEN SHOWN IN GALLERIES & AT THE AMERICAN INDIAN ESKIMO EXPOSITION IN MIAMI. SEE ATTACHED BROCHURE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. SHE FOUND THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT HENRY STANDING ALONE IN HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY AND THE ARTIST'S RESUME BROCHURE IN THE PERMANENT FILE: HENRY STANDING ALONE, NIITSITAIPOIYI, WAS BORN ON APRIL 20, 1935 ON THE BLOOD RESERVE IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. HE LIVED IN LETHBRIDGE UNTIL THE AGE OF SEVEN WHEN THE DEATH OF HIS PARENTS RESULTED IN HIS ENROLMENT AT ST. PAUL'S RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL. IT WAS AT SCHOOL THAT STANDING ALONE BEGAN DRAWING COMPULSIVELY, OFTEN CREATING CARIACTURES OF HIS TEACHERS. WHILE CONVALESCING FOR OVER FIVE YEARS IN A TUBERCULOSIS SANITARIUM IN EDMONTON, HE BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH OILS THROUGH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF A DOCTOR WHO RECOGNIZED HIS ARTISTIC TALENT. IT WAS DURING STANDING ALONE'S HOSPITAL STAY THAT ONE OF HIS PAINTINGS WAS ACQUIRED BY THEN-GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA, VINCENT MASSEY. UPON THE IMPROVEMENT OF HIS HEALTH, STANDING ALONE SPENT THE NEXT FEW YEARS WORKING FOR THE HUDSON'S BAY COMAPNY, IN COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING, AND FREELANCING. IN 1960 HE RETURNED TO THE BLOOD RESERVE, ONLY PAINTING CASUALLY UNTIL THE LATE 70S, WHEN HIS ARTISTIC PRACTICE BECAME A FULL-TIME PROFESSION. STANDING ALONE'S WORKS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED BY THE ALBERTA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS, DISPLAYED ACROSS ALBERTA AND AT THE AMERICAN INDIAN ESKIMO EXPOSITION IN MIAMI IN 1981, AND THE COVER OF A LEATHER-BOUND BOOK PRESENTED TO PRINCE CHARLES WAS HANDPAINTED BY HIM. FROM 1992-1997 STANDING ALONE PORTRAYED THE CHARACTER SAM KIZHA ON THE POPULAR TELEVISION SHOW 'NORTH OF 60', AND REPRISED THAT ROLE IN FOUR SUBSEQUENT MADE-FOR-TV MOVIES INTO 2005. HENRY STANDING ALONE DIED ON MARCH 5, 2010 AND IS BURIED AT ST. PAUL'S CEMETERY ON THE BLOOD RESERVE.

Catalogue Number

P19820006000

Acquisition Date

1982-01

Collection

Museum

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