About Kevin and Valerie Pourier
Kevin and Valerie Pourier are Oglala Lakota. Their home and studio are located on the Pine Ridge Reservation - Medicine Root District, just on the beautiful northern edge of the Badlands area of the reservation. The inspirational and material source of the Pourierʼs work is rightly ascribed to what also happens to be the Lakota Peopleʼs first name, Pte Oyate kin, the Buffalo People. As partners, they are pleased to cultivate the idea that their work not only comes out of the lifeways of the People, but is, moreover, a new cultural artform.
Working collaboratively, they create elegant - wearable - sculptural forms made of buffalo horn: shaped, carved and inlayed with semiprecious minerals. In the traditional manner, they also create contemporary Buffalo Horn Spoons and Cups.
Many of which, have taken top awards at prestigious national art shows. It is no wonder that their simple - yet highly refined artform is much sought after by museums, galleries, and art lovers the world over.
In the manner of the Lakota way, Kevin and Val have learned by doing. their love for the lifeways of the Lakota People, their love of the art ways of the many northern plains peoples - all have deepened their understanding and broadened their vision of what Lakota Art was, is, and could be. And throughout their journey they have learned much that helps them to become better human beings.
True to their indigenous roots, Kevin and Valerie say, “Weʼre Lakota who happen to make art."
From Kevin
"This picture below of Sitting Bull is probably the thing that inspires me most of all. This is a very famous photo. The Monarch Wing in his hat band has been colored to make it stand out more. Lots of people never even noticed the wing until I point it out.
That photo alone shows me that he knew of the power and the beauty of the butterfly.
Looking at the time that the photo was taken, a time when we were having everything taken from us our way of life, our land, our buffalo, spirituality and our people were being killed, one has to understand what kind of turmoil a leader would be going through, but yet he had the awareness and understanding of all things even the little things like butterflies.
Who can we name today that would do something like that under the same circumstances?
Two most asked questions: “Where I get the horns? ” and “Why I love butterflies” Check out Our Blog to find out these answers and learn more about us and our artform.
Collections
Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
Tweed Museum of Art, University of Minnesota, Duluth
Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS
National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC
Heritage Center Collections, Red Cloud Indian School, Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
Museum of Natural History, Denver, CO
The Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
C. M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, MT
Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, Chamberlain, SD
Fellowships
2017 - World Wildlife Fund
“Monarch Hero” one of 6 Nationally
2014 - Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Regional Artist Fellowship Awardee
2012 - USA Artists Fellowship Nominee
2011 - National Native Creative Development Grant
2006 - Archibald Bush Foundation Artist Fellowship
2005 - Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian Visiting Artist Fellowship
2004 - Southwest Association for Indian Arts Fellowship Award
Exhibits
Takuwe: “Why”
Group exhibit focused on the Massacre at Wounded Knee, SD
Red Cloud Heritage Center, Pine Ridge, SD
Akta Lakota Museum, Chamberlain, SD
South Dakota Museum, Brookings, SD
2018 - 2020
Louder Than Words: Indigenous American Art and Activism
Group Exhibition
Idyllwild Arts Exhibition Center
Idyllwild, CA
2017
On Fertile Ground
Group Exhibition
All My Relations Gallery
Minneapolis, MN
2016
Native Fashion Now
Group Exhibition
Peabody Essex Museum
Salem, MA
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, OK
National Museum of the American Indian, NYC
2016
The Games We Play
Group Exhibition
Roxanne Swentzell Tower Gallery
Santa Fe, NM
2015
The Plains Indians: Artists of the Earth and Sky
Group Exhibition
Nelson-Atkins Museum
Kansas City, MO
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Museé du quai Branly, Paris France
2014
2012 - Shapeshifting: Transformations in Native American Art
Group Exhibition, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
2012 - Native American Art at Dartmouth: Highlights from the Hood Museum of Art
Group Exhibition, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
2011 - Tipi: Heritage of the Great Plains
Group Exhibit, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
2010 - First Indigenous Virtual Biennale
Group Exhibit, freeapache.com, Bob Hauzous & 15 Indigenous Artists
2010 - Hokah! All My Relations
Group Exhibit, Ten years of Art, Group Self-Portrait Show, Ancient Traders Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
RE: Generations, Legacy & Tradition 2008 -
Group Exhibit, Ancient Traders Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2007 - “...end of WHAT trail?”
Group Exhibit, IAIA Primitive Edge Gallery, Institute of American Indian Arts3/17/11, Santa Fe, NM
2007 - “Old Ways, New Days”
Three Bush Fellows Exhibit, Dahl Fine Art Center Gallery, Rapid City, SD
2005 - “ Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation, Part II”
Group Exhibit, Contemporary Native American Art from the Prairie, Plains, Plateau and Pacific - Museum of Art and Design, New York City
2001 - “ Jewels of the Southwest”
Group Exhibit, New Directions in the Development of Contemporary Design in Southwest - American Indian Jewelry
Nov. 17th - Jan. 12th 2000 - “ From Four Directions”
Group Exhibit, Ancient Traders Market Gallery - Minneapolis, MN
1999 - 2002 - “Heart Dreams and Legends” A Story of Two Peoples
Group Exhibit, Cultural Exchange with Aboriginal Artists - United States and Australia Tour
Nov. 15th - Mar. 1 1997 - “ Native American Traditions/Contemporary Responses”
Group Exhibit, The Society for Contemporary Crafts - Pittsburgh, PA
May 4th, 5th 1996 - “ One Artist Exhibit” Coiled Pot Gallery - Denver, CO
Below: Personal Photos We would like to share with you of the beauty of where we live and some photos we just love!
