Ric Gendron

(American | Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Arrow Lakes Band, born 1954, died 2023)

Artist Ric Gendron (Arrow Lakes, 1954-2023) created figurative paintings that blend Native American imagery with bold colors. In his own words: "Nobody was painting the Indian the way the Indian actually lived, reservation life and things that go on in Indian culture.” His art includes his experiences as a tribal member and his appreciation of American pop culture, such as the Beat poets of the 1960s, jazz, blues, and rock and roll music.

Gendron was a member of the Arrow Lakes Band of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Northeastern Washington, where he lived and worked. He studied art at Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane (1985-86), Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle (1987-88), and Eastern Washington University (1989). Gendron was a powwow singer and drummer who shared his cultural teachings. In 2013, he was the subject of an exhibition that was shown at the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner (Northwestern Washington) and the Museum of Contemporary Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, among other locations. He was an artist-in-residence at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe and taught art at Gonzaga University in Spokane. His art is the focus of two books, "Rattlebone" and "Kwilstn (Sweat Lodge)".