Artwork copyright Jo Fyfe. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Grassy Lands, 1993

Jo Fyfe
American (born 1941)

Location: Trout Lake School, Trout Lake

About the Artwork

Grassy Lands is part of a body of paintings by artist Jo Fyfe that feature a central image of a circle. The circle represents unity, the many directions that life can take, and the connection between past, present and future. Describing her inspiration for this painting, she notes, “I was thinking of the stories that Grandpa would tell us about the wild horses that ran freely on the ranges, and how they were destroyed by the local ranchers and farmers for food for their pigs and dogs… It made me think of the millions of buffalos who had lived and grazed for thousands of years on the Great Plains. Their paths that lead in all directions created trails for the men with horses and wagons to follow. So few remain. Why is it, what we call civilization and progress, so destructive and wasteful?”

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

About the Artist

Born in Omak, Northeastern Washington, non-Native artist Jo Fyfe's artworks are influenced by the heritage of Native American cultures of the interior Pacific Northwest. She earned a Master in Fine Arts degree from Washington State University in Pullman, Eastern Washington, and taught art for many years at Spokane Falls Community College. She is based in Spokane, Eastern Washington.