Bronze sculpture of a modern day Native American by renowned sculpture Barry Coffin. The figure has braids, wearing a vest with a kerchief around his neck and standing with hands on hips. The bronze is number 5in an edition of 12
About the Artist
Barry Coffin
September 21, 1947 – December 4, 2016
A Native American sculptor and painter of Potawatomi and Creek descent and was born in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1947. Barry grew up on the campus of Haskell Institute, which was an all-Indian high school back then, because his father was a coach at the school. He lived in Lawrence most of his life until he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the fall of 1975 to attend the Institute of American Indian Arts. This is where he learned how to work in ceramics, and his main focus was drawn to building sculptures out of clay. After graduating, his sculptures were displayed and sold in galleries in Santa Fe and throughout the southwest. He became well known for sculpture, and his art career really took off. He received his associate of fine arts from the Institute of American Indian Art. He now lives and works in Taos, New Mexico.
Coffin’s work resides in the permanent collections of the New Mexico Fine Arts Museum, Heard Museum, Denver art museum, Wheelwright Museum, Museum of the Institute of American Indian Arts, Eiteljorg Museum as well as many private collections throughout the world. In addition to his work as an artist Coffin curated the “Native American Fine Arts Exhibit” at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in San Francisco, California. This event was visited by more than 50,000 concert goers and included a star studded benefit concert which included musicians such as Carlos Santana, Steve Miller, Bonnie Raitt, and Don Henley among others.
Deceased December, 2016
SELECTED MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS:
The New Mexico Fine Arts Museum
NYC Museum of Arts and Design
Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian
Peabody Essex Museum
Eiteljorg Museum
Orange County Museum of Art
Chateau de la Napoule, France
Wheelwright Museum
Heard Museum
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
Mandelieu Culture Center, France
Smithsonian Institute
Mid-American All Indian Center and Museum
Philbrook Museum
