Artwork copyright Marie Watt. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Marie Watt. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Marie Watt. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Tether, 2011

Marie Watt
(American | Seneca Nation, born 1967)

Location: Walla Walla Veterans Home, Walla Walla

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Native American artist Marie Watt's artworks explore the interaction of history with intimate memory. Blankets are one of her main materials and are also a source of inspiration for patterns, shapes, and lines. She thinks of blankets as "everyday objects that can carry extraordinary histories of use."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Department of Veteran's Affairs.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Portland, Oregon-based artist Marie Watt (Seneca) creates artworks that explore feminism, Indigenous principles, history, and personal biography. Many of her artworks are constructed from wool blankets and common materials that have stories.

Watt earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and printmaking from Yale University in Connecticut. In 2016, Willamette University awarded her an Honorary Doctorate. Her artworks are collected by many museums, including the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C., Seattle Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, and the United States Library of Congress.