Artwork copyright Dana Boussard. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Dana Boussard. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

We Dreamed of the Way It Used To Be, 1981

Dana Boussard
American (born 1944)

Location: Colbert Elementary School, Colbert

About the Artwork

Artist Dana Boussard created the tapestry We Dreamed of the Way It Used To Be as a symbolic representation of Spokane's natural and geological history. Different layers of dyed and painted velvet depict volcanos, ice flows, floods, plant and animal species. She notes "Surrounding this historical saga is the symbolic fence which represents the incoming civilization, the growth of the community, order and government."

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

About the Artist

Montana-based artist Dana Boussard creates narrative-driven paintings, drawings, fiber works, and glass installations. Her works explore concepts of home, memory and spirituality. She received the Montana Governor's Arts Award in 1987. Boussard is a non-Native artist.