Rick Bartow

Rick Bartow (b. Oregon, 1946 - 2016) was a leading figure in contemporary Native American art. A member of the Mad River Band Wiyot tribe, he is best known for his large, expressive pastel and graphite drawings, though he also worked prolifically in painting, sculpture, and printmaking.

A Vietnam veteran and musician, Bartow drew on personal history, Indigenous traditions, and diverse influences ranging from European art history to Japanese and Maori visual culture.

His work has been widely exhibited and is represented in over 100 public collections, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Portland Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, which acquired four works on paper in 2022.