Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

This July, the Frederic Remington Art Museum will host acclaimed Mohawk artist David Fadden as its artist in residence. Fadden will be in residence at the Museum from July 19 to 22 and July 26 to 28, when the public will have several opportunities to interact with the artist, in a wide variety of ways.

Throughout his residency, Fadden's artwork will be on display in the Museum's Hirschey Family Gallery. Fadden will be working in the same gallery space, and visitors are encouraged to drop in to talk with him about his work and artistic process. More formally, Fadden will discuss his work in an artist's talk on Thursday, July 20 at 4:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public and will be held in the Museum's Tiffany Room, with a reception to follow.

On Friday, July 21, Fadden, a highly esteemed portraitist, will teach a class on drawing faces. This hands-on class will focus on capturing facial structure to express personality and mood. The class will be held from 10am to noon in the Museum's Eva Caten Remington Education Center at 323 Washington Street, Ogdensburg, NY. The class will be based in pencil and paper; materials will be provided, and all skill levels are welcome (children must be accompanied by an adult). Cost for the class is $15 for Museum members and $25 for nonmembers. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information and to register, call 315-393-2425, email desmond@fredericremington.org, or CLICK HERE.

As part of his collaboration with the Remington Museum, Fadden will curate an exhibition of select Remingtonworks, which will open on Thursday, July 27 with a free, public talk by the curator at 4:30 pm in the Museum's Addie P. Newell Gallery. A reception will follow.

Fadden also served as juror for the Remington Museum's Annual Members' Juried Art Exhibit, which opened in May and which is on view through September 10 in the Museum's Richard E. Winter Gallery and the Torrey Family Gallery.

David Fadden grew up in the tiny Adirondack community of Onchiota. There he was nurtured by the teaching and stories of his grandparents, Ray and Christine Fadden, and by the artistic example and encouragement of his parents: John Fadden, art teacher, painter, and illustrator, and Eva Fadden, wood sculptor and potter.

David's work has been exhibited throughout the northeast. His subjects range from traditional Haudenosaunee teachings to intimate portrayals of community members. His vibrant, expressive work encompasses fine brushwork, dynamic palette knife applications, and mosaic-like paintings that capture the complexity and vitality of contemporary Indigenous identity. In addition to his strong reputation as a painter, he is recognized as a storyteller, illustrator, writer, sculptor, and exhibit designer. Much of David's work can be seen at the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center in Onchiota, a family-run facility founded in 1954 by his grandparents.

Several paintings ready for hanging at the Frederic Remington Museum.

"Fadden's vibrant, expressive portraits of Native Americans, full of vitality and emotional impact, are powerful in their own right; they are also a suggestive counterpoint to Frederic Remington's portrayals of indigenous people" says Museum Curator & Educator Laura Desmond. "Fadden has undertaken an impressive range of projects as part of his residency, from curating an exhibition of Remington's work, to teaching a drawing class, to demonstrating and sharing his own outstanding work. I anticipate that visitors of all ages will have an enriching experience during his residency, whether they simply stop in to talk and see him at work, attend one of his presentations, take his drawing class, or view his artworks on display in the Museum's Hirschey Family Gallery."