A LOOK INTO MY ARTIST LIFE…

My name is Kathy Whitman and my Indian name is Elk Woman, given to me in a ceremony. I come from the Mandan-Hidatsa- Arikara Nation, on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota, and am also of Norwegian descent. My children and grandchildren are my biggest inspiration and I relish their creative input. From them comes love and happiness, and my art echoes that LOVE! 

I am a true multidisciplinary artist; a stone and metal sculptor, a painter, a jeweler, and a fashion and furniture designer. Through my extensive journey of being an Indigenous artist, I have been honored with many prestigious awards and participated in numerous exhibitions around the world. I am a member of the Indigenous Sculptor Society and continue to lead art workshops and participate in artist residences throughout the United States and Europe. The artwork I have created over my lifetime is in notable collections throughout the world. I am honored to have my art continue to be acknowledged in these ways, but when it all comes down to it, what I truly love and appreciate about my life is the ability to continue to create and impact the world with my artwork. 

Being an artist it is continuously changing and growing, as in life. Every endeavor is an adventure and my goal as an artist, rests in making a difference and being the difference. Through the art I create, I strive to heal the environment and most recently have been exploring working with recycled materials such as aluminum and plastic. I am a fearless multidisciplinary artist, willing to take creative risks and push conceptual boundaries. I continue to develop artistic techniques to encourage innovation and visual product improvement while upholding the highest standards of artistic quality and integrity of the design process. I am a cultured artist, with an art history expertise, entrepreneurial skills and hold a deep understanding of the business side of art. For me, creating art is a never ending adventure of exploration, traveling a path less traveled, breaking new ground, having no limitations, and making a difference.

 With that said, it is easier to understand why I do what I do. In any media that I undertake to create with, I’m motivated by the challenges it may hold. I’m compelled to push the so-called boundaries of the media and myself. In doing so, my hope is to bring a happy, uplifting feeling of love, to the viewing audience. Nature and my culture go hand in hand, and they are my influences.

 On my artist journey of recent, I am inspired to be an active participant in the upkeep of Mother Earth, by contributing to her healing, through the art that I create. By using materials that are byproducts of consumer goods as my medium, I am able to accomplish this idea, this purpose. I work primarily with salvaged steel from old vehicles, aluminum cans and plastic bottles as these seem to be the most abundant land pollutants in the world. For every piece of scrap metal, can and plastic bottle that becomes a part my art, that much less is put into the environment. 

 I want my work to have more purpose, be more meaningful, than to be only viewed. Through my recent mixed media sculptures, my hope is to change the perspective of the general public, to raise the consciousness about our impact on the environment and make positive changes, to broaden the public consciousness to new possibilities of using byproduct materials to create fine art, therefore saving the environment and impacting all of life. 

 And this is where my work is focused presently. I set out by collecting old car parts and steel scrap, aluminum cans and plastic bottles, not knowing initially, what I will create with them, or even how people will respond to the idea. And I do this because I am passionate about my connection to Mother Earth and my tribal spiritual beliefs, I am compelled to follow my heart. 

 In order to have the most impact with my message I feel it is necessary to produce large realistic sculptures from the recycled materials that may exist outside in public spaces, drawing attention to the seriousness of the message.

 There are always new and different ways of manipulating materials to create a lifelike sculpture in movement. This is not a new concept, it is an ancient way of being, recycling, reusing and repurposing. One of the elder teachings is “However you take care of Mother Earth, that’s how she’s going to take care of you”. This counts for everything. Our people used every part of the buffalo, with no waste. The hide was used for clothing and lodging. The meat used for sustenance. The bones and horns were used for tools and weapons. Out of necessity and respect and reverence for all things, our ancestors took care and lived accordingly. It’s a simple, basic philosophy, which can still be adhered to today, Because there is so much waste and pollution caused by these materials, I feel that it is fitting to create beauty with them and send a positive constructive message, to impact a change. 

 I’ve won a variety of awards in various art shows and on all of the mediums that I create in. I won a Best of Show Award, that I split with another artist, at Northern Plains Art Show, in Sioux Falls, SD. At Santa Fe Indian Market, I’ve won, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Honorable Mention, on my stone sculpture, metal sculpture, recycled aluminum sculpture, painting and clothing, over the years, since 1989. I’ve gotten Best of Sculpture at the Autry Native American Art Show in Los Angeles, CA., 1st place in Sculpture at the Heard Indian Art Show, in Phoenix, AZ, and 1st place in Sculpture at 8 Northern Pueblos Native Art Show. Although I’m honored and humbled to receive ribbons and prizes for my art, I’ve learned that it creates dissension instead of unity. I prefer UNITY and camaraderie, going forward.