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Conrad House 1956-2001, Navajo Oneida Artist



CONRAD HOUSE (b. 29 November 1956, Rehoboth, NM / d. 2001) 
Untitled, from the Northwest Series, 
1988, pastel and crayon on black paper 

Today I want to introduce you to the work of Conrad House. With a name like Conrad House, your first internet search will have you looking at mansions that belong to the Hilton family. That was the struggle of chasing down detailed information on Mr. House, very little information exists on the internet. Then I came upon book that provided biographies on Native American artists, and low and behold, I found the details. This blog provides some of the details referenced in the book, I go on to provide further updated details.

Mr. House was a master artisan that worked in several different medias. During the review of his exhibit at Sacred Circle Gallery in Seattle, it was noted that the exhibit looked like a group show than just a solo show. He worked in fabric, glass, beadwork, accomplished ink drawings and intertwining pastels.

Joyce Szabo, Professor, Native American Art History, University of New Mexico, essay on House, she states: “Much of the complexity of imagery found in his ink drawings appears as well in House’s paintings and pastels…. The pastels allow an overlapping and intersecting of forms…. In some cases, the complexity of their intersecting angles and shapes that often fragment faces and bodies makes them even more strongly cubist in nature.”

The “Untitled” pastel shown here, illustrates the overlapping and interwoven animals, birds, reptiles, corn and leaves, masks, and Native American bags. This pastel relates to his heritage and background, for example corn is a foundation in his culture, important as a food and for its pollen.

Upon his death, the Conrad House Award was established. The award is given to an artist who is grounded in traditional precepts yet shows originality, vision and innovation. This award was set up by Marcia Berman and Deanie Harlan.

Below are the details for your research pleasures:

Education:
Fulton-Montgomery Community College, Johnstown, NY
SUNY, Johnstown, NY
BFA, University of New Mexico, 1980
Graduate Studies, University of Oregon

Media: Oil, acrylic, pastel, Swiss crayon, watercolor, pencil, pen and ink, mixed-media

Some Publications:
ArtNews, December 1981
Arizona Arts and Lifestyle, Autumn 1981
Artspace, Fall 1981
Krantz, 1990
Native Peoples, Special Edition 1994

Art-Talk, Feb. 1995 Exhibit Catalogue: A Life in Balance - The Art of Conrad House, 2006 by Joyce Szabo

Public and Corporate Collections:
American Indian Contemporary Arts/San Francisco
Heard Museum, Phoenix
Indian Arts and Crafts Board, Dept. of Interior, Washington, DC
Museum of the Plains Indian, Browning, MT
Southern Plains Indian Museum, Anadarko, OK
University of New Mexico, Maxwell Museum, Albuquerque, NM/1983 Purchase Award
United States Department of Interior
Portland Museum of Art, Portland, OR
Security First National Bank, Seattle, WA

Solo Exhibits:
American Indian Contemporary Arts/San Francisco
Museum of the Plains Indian, Browning, MT
Sacred Circle Gallery of American Indian Art, Seattle, WA
Jonson Gallery of the University of New Mexico Art Museum

Group Exhibit:

Foundations Gallery Advertisement
ARTnews, ARTnews Associates, NYC
Summer Issue, 1982

Scholarships and Fellowships:
Pilchuck Glass School Scholarship
Southwest Associations for Indian Arts Fellowship Award, Indian Market, Santa Fe, NM
University of New Mexico, Office of International Studies

Special Note:  House was a member of the Grey Canyon Artists Group which included Emmi Whitehorse, Larry Emerson, Paul Willeto, and Juane Quick-To-See Smith, and exhibited extensively in the late 1970s and the 1980s. 

Information gathered from: The Biographical Directory of Native American Painters, 1995, Patrick D. Lester
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©2020. Waller-Yoblonsky Fine Art is a research collaborative, working to track artists that got lost and overlooked due to time, changing styles, race, gender and/or sexual orientation. Our frequent blogs highlight artists and art movements that need renewed attention with improved information for the researcher and art collectors. The photos and blog was created by Mr. Waller and all written materials were obtained by the Fair Use Section 107, of The Copyright Act. #waller-yoblonskyblogspot #walleryoblonskyblogspot #Conradhouse #conradhouseart #conradhouseartist #nativeamericanart

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