Cawdrey Gallery to feature work of Crow artist Kevin Red Star — Painter brings decades of cultural storytelling through contemporary art

Known for his vibrant depictions of Crow culture and history through contemporary painting techniques, artist Kevin Red Star’s work will be featured at Cawdrey Gallery during Whitefish Gallery Nights Oct. 2. 

Born in 1943 on the Crow Indian Reservation in Lodge Grass, Red Star has established himself as one of the most significant Native American artists of his generation. Raised in a family that valued art and culture, Red Star developed an early passion for drawing and music that sustained him through challenging educational experiences when Crow students faced cultural suppression. 

Red Star’s artistic journey took a pivotal turn when he was selected as one of 150 students to attend the newly established Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There, he was encouraged to explore his heritage through modern art techniques, launching a career that would span several decades and influence countless other Native artists. 

Working primarily in acrylic, ink and collage, Red Star creates powerful visual narratives. His distinctive style has earned recognition in major exhibitions across the country, with more than 100 exhibitions featuring his work throughout his career, including 40 solo exhibitions. 

Red Star’s work gained national attention through the Gambaro Gallery’s Indian Artists, 1977 exhibition, where he was featured as “representative of the new generation of Indian painters,” alongside renowned Native American artists such as Allan Houser. More recently, his work was included in the major survey exhibition “Stretching the Canvas: Eight Decades of Native Painting (2019-21)” at the National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center in New York. 

    "Little Nest" by Kevin Red Star, acrylic on canvas, will be included in an exhibit at Cawdrey Gallery Oct. 2. (Courtesy photo)
  

    "Bad Horse" by Kevin Red Star, acrylic on canvas, will be included in an exhibit at Cawdrey Gallery Oct. 2. (Courtesy photo)

    Artist Kevin Red Star