North American Indians, by George Catlin

ASU Museum exhibit features
collection of George Catlin lithographs

George Catlin (1796-1872) was an American artist who traveled and lived among the Native Americans in the 1830s.  An exhibition of 23 of his lithographs, “A Plains Portfolio,” will be on exhibition in the Arkansas State University Museum main gallery through Aug. 4.

Catlin was a lawyer turned painter and the first of many artists to decide to go West.  He said he wanted “to use my art and so much of the labor of my future life as might be required in rescuing from oblivion the looks and customs of the vanishing races of native man in America.”

He took six years to raise the money for his westward expedition, but in 1832 he was able to begin his journey.  He spent 86 days on the Upper Missouri River among the Sioux, Mandan and other peoples of the Great Plains.  In that time he painted almost 200 pictures.

“Catlin Prints: A Plains Portfolio” were donated to the ASU Museum in 1972 as a memorial to Charles Valauskas.  They were printed in Scotland from the original stones. 

Admission is free, but a $2 donation per person is suggested.  The public is welcome.  Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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