The Art of Claire Heldman: Lakota Wiá

October 1, 2021 through March 5, 2022

Past Exhibit


The Institute for Human Science and Culture is honored to host a new exhibit by artist, Claire Heldman Oyate Wankan Wiá. Lakota Wiá features original art alongside unique handcrafted pieces of cultural and artistic significance made by and for the artist’s mother, Delma Heldman, to whom the exhibit is dedicated. 

About the Artist:

Claire Heldman Oyate Wankan Wiá (The People See Her Woman) is a member of the Lakota from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, and a life-long resident of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. She creates contemporary drawings and paintings that draw on her Native American heritage. Her work is visualized through a combination of meditation and prayer and incorporates both found materials and those of cultural significance such as cow skulls, horsehair, and leather. Heldman’s art has been shown in galleries throughout the United States; her work also hangs in the Governor’s Multicultural Gallery in Columbus. She has been recognized both locally and nationally for her talents, including being named Artist of the Year in 2004 by the Ohio Arts Council. In describing her artwork, Heldman says: “I endeavor to bridge cultures through art with the hope to bring a better understanding of individuality among all races.”

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