“Portrait of Eugene Landry—an Artist, a Time and a Tribe” brings together the artwork of Eugene Landry (1937-1988) with contemporary Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe artists and writers as they explore their cultural roots, tribal identity, and connection to ancestral land. Landry’s artwork offers a look at the political, economic, and cultural challenges the tribe faced during his lifetime—from near termination to federal recognition. Paralyzed by illness as a young man, Landry created his art from a wheelchair, using his non- dominant hand. Conversations with his former portrait models (now tribal elders), reveal his creative resilience and the positive impact he had in their young lives. Now, 35 years after Landry’s passing, a rediscovered collection of Landry’s art inspires a new generation of Shoalwater Bay artists. "Portrait of Eugene Landry—an Artist, a Time and a Tribe" will be on view at Astoria Visual Arts November 11 through December 2.

The exhibit opens with a reading with curator Judith Altruda and guests from the Shoalwater Bay Tribe

This exhibit is supported by a Public Program Grant from Oregon Humanities