Native Indian artist to speak

The Nevada State Museum will host Master Native American Artist Lillian Pitt at 7 p.m. tonight for a presentation of "She Who Remembers."

Pitt's work is featured in the exhibit Rock Art Perspectives: Pictographs and Petroglyphs, on display in the South Changing Gallery through May 1.

Primarily a sculptor and mixed media artist, Pitt's lifetime of work includes artistic expressions in clay, bronze, wearable art, prints, and most recently, glass.

"My ancestors were traders and innovators," Pitt explains. "They traded goods and exchanged ideas with people from many Native traditions. I honor my ancestors by carrying on this tradition of exchanging goods and ideas through my art."

Pitt's museum presentation offers a detailed look at her life, innovative art, and beloved traditions.

Her artwork depicts animal characters such as Coyote and the Salmon People, plus legends such as Stick Indians and She Who Watches. The talk will be about remembering her ancestors, the river, and how her artwork honors it all.

She was born on the Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon, a descendent of Wasco, Yakama, and Warm Springs people. She creates works of art using contemporary media and art forms, which draw on more than 10,000 years of Native American history and tradition in the region of her ancestors.

She gains inspiration from the region of Big River, known today as the Columbia River, and is one of the most highly regarded Native American artists in the Pacific Northwest.

The program is provided by a generous grant from the Bureau of Land Management.

Please enter through the Dema Guinn Concourse. Admission: $8 adults; free for children 17 and under and museum members. For information, call 775-687-4810.

The Nevada State Museum actively engages people in understanding and celebrating Nevada's natural and cultural heritage. Exhibits highlight the state's history, geology, plants and animals, Native American cultural heritage, Historic Carson City Mint, a replica walk-through mine, and ghost town.