Recommended: Rabbett Before Horses Strickland’s “Right to Consciousness” Art Exhibition and Artist Reception

Last night I stopped in at Trepanier Hall to get a sneak preview of tonight's "Right To Consciousness" exhibit featuring the paintings and drawings of Rabbett Before Horses Strickland of the Red Cliff Reservation. There will also be a musical program featuring Lyz Jaakola, Jake Vainio, Kathy McTavish and Richie Townsend.

In addition to the program there's a book available, titled From Dreams May We Learn, featuring Strickland's art. The book includes an interview conducted by Ken Bloom, director of the Tweed Museum, a prosaic portrait of the artist by David Treuer, and stories by Jean Buffalo. It's a beautiful book which the artist will be present to sign if you arrive early enough.

Ultimately, it is the art itself that is remarkably compelling, which I highly recommend attending if you are at all in the vicinity of downtown Duluth tonight. It's a free event that will make an impression on you.

WHEN: Friday, June 27, 2014 @ 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin-Trepanier Hall AICHO American Indian Housing Organization (AICHO), 202 W. 2nd Street Duluth, the former YWCA

His art depicts past and present injustices through dreams of spirits and humans centering around Nanabozho, the hero in Ojibwe stories and descendant of West Wind and a human woman. He has sold his paintings to international collectors in Japan, Europe and Canada. The artist, a member of the Red Cliff and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Ojibwe, currently lives in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Some of his experiences growing up in San Francisco are relayed in the book. His work has been exhibited in London, Santa Fe, Minneapolis, the Tweed Museum of Art here in Duluth, as well as galleries in California. His art is also part of a traveling exhibit by Honor the Earth and he sells his paintings to collectors around the world.

It's the scale of the work that is impressive. Though equally impressive is the beautiful manner in which he creates his stories on canvas, sometimes with simplicity and often with epic complexity. Hopefully, I will see you there.

You can read more about Rabbett Before Horses here.

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There are other places to satisfy your art fix here in the Twin Ports tonight. Renegade Theater's excellent production of the Tony Award-winning RED is still on tap at Teatro Zuccone. Before or after the show you can linger in the Zeitgeist Atrium to see Brent Kusterman's paintings and wall art.

Meantime art goes on all around you. Celebrate it.