The Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation is saddened by the news of artist Rick Bartow's death this past Saturday, April 2nd. Born in Newport, Oregon, Rick was a Native American artist of Wiyot and Yurok heritage. His creativity was boundless and his passion for his culture and his craft was expressed through his painting, sculpture, prints, ceramics, and mixed media work.
Rick was a storyteller and a character who could captivate any audience, as demonstrated in this video filmed at the Missoula Art Museum in February 2014, where he talked to a group of children about the story behind his wood sculpture Bear for Mary and John, 2010, part of the exhibition Under Pressure: Contemporary Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. This impromptu performance was a highlight for all in attendance and provided an unexpected personal connection to contemporary art that will not easily be forgotten.
His works, including several on loan from the collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, are currently on view in Rick Bartow: Things You Know But Cannot Explain, organized by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon and traveling nationally – currently at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
More tributes to Rick Bartow from some of our friends:
PORT: PortlandArt.net
Eugene Weekly
Oregon ArtsWatch
OPB Think Out Loud