Rick Bartow (1946-2016) Native American: Mad River Band of Wiyot

Born in Newport, Oregon, in 1946, Bartow was a member of the Wiyot tribe of Northern California and had close ties with the Siletz community. He graduated in 1969 from Western Oregon University with a degree in secondary arts education and served in the Vietnam War (1969-71).

His work has been featured in many solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally and is in numerous public and private collections. A recent career highlight was the completion of We Were Always Here, a monumental pair of sculptures over 20 feet high installed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The work was commissioned by The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

-JSMA

Bartow's work has received national recognition.  He is known foremost as a contemporary American artist, but also, one who has lived the Native American experience. Personal experiences, cultural engagement and global myths, especially Native American transformation stories, are the heart of Bartow's art.