Thanks Guv
State Capitol Dome (adjacent to the Governor’s mansion) Olympia WA. Photo by Marcy Merrill 2024
A few years ago, while seeking venues to host a traveling exhibit of Eugene Landry’s art, I contacted the director of a PNW museum whose mission is to “reassess the hierarchy of Northwest art history by advancing the work of women, minority, and other artists who historically [1860-1970] made substantial contributions to the region’s cultural identity.” It certainly seemed like Gene might qualify as one of those “hitherto neglected artists” the museum sought to recognize. I sent an email to the museum’s director with a link to this website and got a quick reply:
“…Unfortunately, I don’t think [ X museum] would be able to consider his work for an exhibition…portraiture of unknown people would not go over well with the general public.”
What a way to underestimate and devalue the general public! It made me ponder how women, minority and other artists were able to make “substantial contributions to the region’s cultural identity,” if they were “hitherto neglected?”
The director’s dismissal seemed counter to the museum’s mission statement, yet it was typical of the marginalization Gene Landry faced in his lifetime. As a Native American and a paraplegic, he faced enormous barriers as he pursued his artistic goal—of visibility. None of these obstacles, be it stairs blocking wheelchair access to art supply stores or curatorial gatekeepers stopped Gene from creating. Rejection did not deter him. For Gene, overcoming obstacles was a way of life.
In about 1962, after losing the use of his dominant hand through the negligence of attendants at an Indian Health Service facility, Gene returned to art school and started all over again, learning to draw and paint with his left hand. In the mid-60s he could often be found at Pioneer Square and other (then) downtrodden Seattle locations, drawing the “unknown” people of the street. He painted portraits of his tribal relations, friends, and wife Sharon. In addition to the portraits, Gene painted still lifes and landscapes reflecting the world around him. He had solo shows in the Puget Sound region and won awards at juried NW festivals. Against great odds, by age 30, Gene had become a practicing, professional artist. However, after his death in 1988, at age 50, Gene’s art had largely been forgotten by the world beyond his reservation.
Thirty years later, I uncovered a trove of his art in an attic. Despite decades of neglect, these paintings were survivors. Even in the darkness, through a film of dirt and mold, the faces of these “unknown people’ stirred me to action. Partnering with the Shoalwater Bay Tribe in 2019, we staged an exhibit of Eugene Landry’s art that opened (after two years of pandemic rescheduling) in 2021. Two years later, Gene’s art crossed the Columbia River to find acclaim in Astoria at the AVA, a non-profit gallery. Which opened the doors to two more exhibits, both opening this month in Washington State; one at the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia, and an extensive display at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. Hopefully the general public’s’ interest and appreciation of Eugene Landry will continue to grow, thanks to this recognition. We would like to see his exhibit eventually travel into other states—and maybe even the “other Washington.”
In the words of Margaret Cho, “The power of visibility can never be underestimated.”
Gene’s models for this collection, “Faces of Washington State” lived in Seattle, where he made his home between 1960-1968.
RECEPTION
On September 17th a grand reception hosted by the Governor’s Mansion Foundation, celebrated the work of four PNW artists/writers. Sharing a few photo highlights below. Gene’s work will be displayed in the public tour until 2026.
Program cover for the reception
Gene’s Shoalwater Bay and Quinault family members in attendance
Speeches and storytelling in the adjoining ballroom
Me with Washington State’s First Lady Trudi Inslee (L) When I thanked her for having us in her home, Trudi said, ‘Oh no, this is YOUR house.’
At the entrance to the Governor’s Mansion, L-R Leatta Anderson, Judith Altruda, Frank Shipman, Lynn Clark, Davin Culp. Photo by Marcy Merrill