Robert Martinez
(Northern Arapaho)
Old Stories, 2022
Airbrushed acrylic and oil on linen
30” x 36”
As a child I spent a lot of time listening to our elders. They spoke about the Arapaho culture, our connection to Mother Earth and the ever changing times they lived in. What I remember most are their personal stories: the hardships they endured, the loss, but also the joy, the happiness, and the humor. Those shared reflections, continually keep me grounded as a person and as an artist.
Neiwoo - Grandma, 2022
Airbrushed acrylic and oil on linen
30” x 36”
I was fortunate enough to have been around my grandmother quite a bit as a kid. She was the matriarch that held the family together. It was only as an adult that I learned from others of how respected she was, how many people she helped, and all the sacrifices she made for her family. I have seen and known many great-grandmas who have done the same. Through thick and thin they have kept our culture going, kept families going, and even kept whole communities going. Their support, their examples and their blessings, continually keep me grounded as a person and as an artist.
Robert Martinez is a celebrated artist and curator who was born on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, USA, and grew up a part of many different cultures as his lineage is Spanish, Mexican, Scotts Irish, French Canadian, and Northern Arapaho. He attended the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design (RMCAD) and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts specializing in Painting & Drawing and minoring in sculpture. His Chicano and Northern Arapaho heritage, as well the historical imagery, myths, and stories of the American West, are constant inspiration and source of ideas for his art. His paintings and drawings have been shown across the USA and have garnered noted acclaim. He is a recipient of the highest art award in Wyoming, the Governors Art Award. Robert's work is included in the permanent collections of the Red Cloud Heritage Museum, The Brinton Museum, The Plains Indian Museum at the Cody Center of the West, and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. A strong supporter of Education and of the Arts, Robert is the Founder of Creative Indigenous Collective and Northern Arapaho Artists Society, and is committed to helping and mentoring emerging indigenous artists. He has curated the GROUNDED exhibition. For more information, see: martinezartdesign.com