Artwork copyright Caroline Orr. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Plateau Upper World, 1993

Caroline Orr
(American | Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation | Lillooet Okanagan, born 1943)

Location: Hamblen Elementary, Spokane

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Plateau Upper World by artist Caroline Orr is part of a series of etchings using symbols that reflect the culture and history of the Okanogan plateau. Orr (Lillooet Okanogan) traces her heritage to this area for thousands of years. Describing the narrative this piece depicts, Orr notes "the garter snake is chosen by all the animals to carry the sun across the sky each day, bringing us light. The round earth form and the flight of the bird place us in the context of the sky and universe."

Orr created this print during a residency at Centrum, a center for the arts in Port Townsend, on the Olympic Peninsula in Northwest Washington.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Spokane School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Northwest artist Caroline Orr (Lillooet Okanogan) creates paintings, prints, and sculptures influenced by her Native American heritage and the stories passed down by her ancestors. Orr grew up on the Okanogan plateau of North-Central Washington. She notes "Beginning my life on a reservation cattle ranch, I have always been inspired by nature and my native heritage, taught to me by the legends of my grandparents. Art... has helped me to express my appreciation for these stories and the wisdom of my ancestors." The Okanogan Tribe's traditional territory spans the U.S.-Canada boundary in Washington and British Columbia.

Orr earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (1965) in art from the University of Washington in Seattle, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (1973) from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (1977) in painting from the University of Washington in Seattle.