We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laura Youngbird. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laura below.
Laura, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I was a determined and curious child. I disassembled my mother’s sewing machine (maybe to try to figure it out?). I remember that I tried and tried to tie my own shoes, until I figured it out. I was always experimenting and often bringing my sisters into the plan. One bright sunny day, we were all dressed for church and our parents were still getting ready. We had new wood lawn furniture that needed to be painted, the paint was right there-so we decided to help… Before going to school, I can remember learning to spell by trying to read the labels on the canned goods in the cupboard. My mother bought me a board with the little magnet alphabet letters.
My dad was in the Air Force. We were temporarily living in a tiny little trailer, waiting to move into base housing, because my parents sold our trailer to a young couple. The woman was a commercial artist and she showed me how to draw. Simple shapes, everything is made of simple shapes! That is when I decided that I was going to be an artist.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a mixed media artist, combining drawing, painting and prints. The dress has been a consistent symbol in my work, addressing a wide range, of social issues, injustices and biases. The work is multifauceted and loaded with mixed emotions. It began long ago, when I reacted to pictures of my grandmother. She scratched her face out of most of the pictures we have of her. Pictures of her as a very young girl in her little white dress. The images launched me on a journey of exploration that continues to challenge me today. I explored identify or the lack of, created by the assimilation policy intended to acculturate Native children into the dominate culture. The red dress is a distinct reminder of our Missing, Murdered and Indigeneous People. The dress also retells the story and the wonderful memories of my mother sewing dresses for my sisters and me, and teaching us to sew. Making garments for someone can be an act of love. It can be enveloping, nurturing and protective. On the other hand, clothing can create an illusion, to cover, mask and disguise. I currently have an exhibition titled Inde’Wiisagendam (My Heart Hurts) at Kaddatz Gallery in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. With another at the Edgar Heap of Birds Family Gallery in Kansas City in September 2024
I also plan to be at a few Art Festivals; the 2024 Indigenous Art Fair at Plains Art Museum Fargo ND on Saturday, April 27th and Sunday, April 28th and the Art Festival at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis Illinois June 21,22 and 23.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I often questioned my journey while in the process. And of course it is still unfolding before me. It turns out it has all been good, not at all the way I imagined, or how I wished that it might have been… I made plenty of mistakes. However, I found that my life has been full of blessings. I didn’t give up. I was determined, perseverant and (people often say I am patient, but it doesn’t always feel that way… ) I am grateful for my family, my friends and all of the opportunities that I have had And for whatever is next.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Five years ago, my husband Felix had a massive stroke, He was in the hospital and rehab for five months. While he is doing better now, he is still in a wheel chair and needs extra care. Felix was a life long athlete, long distance runner, and golfer. As an artist I had art shows, artist talks, residencies. Being a caretaker has presented many challenges. We were both used to coming and going as we pleased.
Contact Info:
- Website: laurayoungbird.com
- Instagram: Laura Youngbird
- Facebook: Laura Youngbird
- Linkedin: Laura Youngbird
- Twitter: Laura Youngbird
Image Credits
Ann Arbor Miller photographer – Laura Youngbird image
