Duane Slick

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Duane Slick
Born1961 (age 64–65)
Waterloo, Iowa, U.S.
CitizenshipSac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Northern Iowa
University of California, Davis
OccupationsArtist, Professor

Duane Slick (born 1961)[1] is a Meskwaki artist and educator of Ho-Chunk descent. He is known for his work influenced by his heritage, and for his series of prints and paintings depicting coyotes – a trickster character in Native cultures.

Early life and education

Duane Slick was born 1961 in Waterloo, Iowa, to a Meskwaki father and a Ho-Chunk mother.[2][3]

He received a BFA degree in painting and a BA degree in Art Education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1986.[4] Slick completed an MFA degree in 1990 in painting from the University of California, Davis.[5] While at UC Davis, he was mentored by artist George Longfish.[6] He previously taught at Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from 1992 to 1995.[7] Since 1995, Slick has taught printmaking and painting at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).[2]

Work

The image of a coyote head as well as its shadow has become his "signature leitmotif" in his paintings and prints. Slick has stated that by "depicting coyote’s shadow, he returns metaphysical autonomy to a folk art object drained of its original intention through capitalism."[8]

He has taught fine arts at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) since 1995.[2][9]


In 2010, he was a resident at School for Advanced Research (SAR), where he created his work Field Mouse Goes to War.[10] In 2012, Slick was awarded the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship, and his work was included in the associated group exhibition, We Are Here!.[11]

His first solo museum exhibition, The Coyote Makes the Sunset Better, premiered in 2022 at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.[12][13]

Slick was also a co-curator of Marking Resilience: Indigenous North American Prints, a 2023 exhibition staged by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.[14]

Collections

Slick's work is included in several public art collections including the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution,[15] Milwaukee Art Museum,[16] Chazen Museum of Art,[17] Danforth Art Museum,[18] and the Des Moines Art Center,[19] among others.

References

  1. "Duane Slick profile". Askart.com. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  2. "Duane Slick". NetWorks Rhode Island. 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  3. American Indians and Popular Culture: Media, Sports, and Politics. Volume 1 of American Indians and Popular Culture. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. 2012. pp. 201–202. ISBN 9780313379901.
  4. "Duane Slick/CV". Duane Slick (artist website). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  5. "Native American Artists To Display Works in Exhibition". UC Davis. 1994-01-26. Retrieved 2019-12-09. Slick received his MFA from UC Davis in 1990
  6. "Opening Reception: George Longfish: Indian on Indian | USM Art Galleries Gorham and Portland". University of Southern Maine (USM). Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  7. "Duane Slick". Des Moines Art Center. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  8. "Duane Slick: Crafting a Consequential Narrative". Sam Fox School of Art. Washington University. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  9. "11 Native American Artists Whose Work Redefines What It Means to Be American". Mic. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  10. Abatemarco, Michael (30 September 2016). "Rooms with a view: The home of the School for Advanced Research". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  11. "We Are Here! Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship". Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  12. Chan, Dawn (14 April 2022). "At the Aldrich Museum, the Coyote Takes the Lead". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  13. Chan, Dawn (17 January 2022). "Duane Slick Brings His Coyotes To The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum". Forbes. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  14. Fernández-Barkan, Davida (1 February 2024). "Marking Resilience: Indigenous North American Prints". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  15. "Collections Search Results". National Museum of American History.
  16. "Coyote's Blue Laughter, from the portfolio Lasting Impressions". Milwaukee Art Museum. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  17. "Crafting a Consequential Narrative". Chazen Museum of Art. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  18. Bergeron, Chris (2019-08-19). "Check out 'Highlights from the Permanent Collection,' 'Populuxe' at the Danforth Art Museum". Bridgewater Independent. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  19. "Galleries & Art Museums: Grinnell College Museum of Art Showcases Their Collections". Iowa Source. 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2019-12-09.