John Day collection on Arthur Amiotte

Collection

Identifier: MS-046

Staff Only

Content Description

The John Day collection on Arthur Amiotte was collected by John Day. It contains mostly documents pertaining to the creation of the Arthur Amiotte: Retrospective Exhibition, Continuity and Diversity book and exhibition.

The collection has eight series: Correspondence, Exhibition, Honorary Doctorate, Research Materials, Photographic Material, Media, News Clippings, and Oversize.

Correspondence is divided into Tour/Retrospective, Loans, and Other Correspondence subseries. Exhibition is divided into Catalogue, Touring, Finances, Art, and Publicity subseries. Photographic Materials is divided into Slides and Photograph subseries.

Most of the of the collection is organized alphabetically by the most prominent title or correspondent on the document. News Clippings are organized chronologically. The document types found within this collection vary from correspondence to photographs to photocopies of newspaper articles, much of which was used to compile the necessary information needed to publish the Arthur Amiotte: Retrospective Exhibition, Continuity and Diversity.

In a prospectus on the nature of the exhibition, the author wrote that the Arthur Amiotte: Retrospective Exhibition, Continuity and Diversity is “A retrospective exhibition of art of Arthur Amiotte from the early 1960s to the present. The exhibition surveys four decades of work by an internationally celebrated Oglala Lakota artist. Contains fifty works in a variety of media including paintings, wall hangings, and collages”

Dates

Creation: 1962 - 2010
Creation: Majority of material found within 1980 - 2003

Creator

Day, John A. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research, but it does contain some restricted materials: Box 2 Folder 16 Budget. Redacted copies of the restricted material have been placed in the open files. Researchers are advised to contact the Archives and Special Collections prior to visiting.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers must obtain a signed Permission to Publish Form if they wish to reproduce, broadcast, or otherwise disseminate information from published and unpublished works held by ASC. Permission to reproduce, broadcast, or otherwise disseminate information materials from ASC does not constitute permission from the holder of copyright or literary rights. The researcher is responsible for securing permission from the copyright holder to publish or reproduce content from materials found in the collections.

Biographical / Historical

Arthur Amiotte (1942- present) is an Oglala Lakota artist from Custer, South Dakota, and he currently has an art studio there. Amiotte has had three prominent influences in his art career: his grandmother, Lakota medicine man Pete Catches, and Oscar Howe. His grandmother was a huge influence on his career through the stories she told about his grandfather, who illustrated the book Black Elk Speaks. Pete Catches influence on Amiotte was via knowledge about Lakota spirituality and rituals, which became the base of many of Amiotte’s art pieces. Oscar Howe influenced his life by showing Amiotte that it was possible to paint his heritage. Before opening his studio in Custer, SD, Amiotte taught art at a number of different universities and one high school. While teaching at Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada, Arthur Amiotte was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. Amiotte has participated in over one hundred exhibitions, including twenty which showcased mostly his work. He has also been a curator of several art collections pertaining to the culture and tribes of the Great Plains.

The Arthur Amiotte Retropective: Continuity and Diversity was held in June 2001 at the University Art Galleries at the University of South Dakota.

John A. Day (1939-2013) was a member of the USD faculty for more than twenty years. He joined the USD community in 1976 as Chairman of the Fine Arts Department. In 1980, Day became dean of the College of Fine Arts, and held that position until 2004. Day was also the director of University Art Galleries at USD and participated in creating more than fifty exhibitions for the University Art Galleries. These include many on Oscar Howe as well as the Arthur Amiotte: Retrospective Exhibition, Continuity and Diversity. Upon his retirement, the college and faculty honored Day by naming an art gallery on the USD campus after him. He passed away in 2013.

Extent

4.5 Linear Feet (5 document boxes and 1 oversize box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into eight series: Correspondence, Exhibition, Honorary Doctorate, Research Materials, Photographic Materials, Media, News Clippings, and Oversize.

Related Materials

John Day collection on Robert (Bobby) Penn and Oscar Howe papers. Also see Amiotte’s retrospective catalog for a list of “Selected Public Collections” of Amiotte’s art.