Visiting artist presentation is April 15 Bunky Echo-Hawk, visiting artist at the Department of Art & Design from April 14–18, will give a presentation at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, in the Memorial Union Lecture Bowl. It is free and open to the public. The presentation will be followed by a reception for the artist. Bunky Echo-Hawk (Pawnee/Yakama) is an artist whose work spans media and lifestyle. A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, he is a fine artist, graphic designer, photographer, writer, and a nonprofit professional. He is also a traditional singer and dancer. Echo-Hawk defines himself as a “proactive ARTist” whose goal is to “truly exemplify the current state of Native America.” Merging traditional values and art while blending popular culture with Native culture, Echo-Hawk challenges art assumptions and notions of American Indian people and issues. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States including New York, Chicago, Denver, and Santa Fe; and internationally in Frankfurt, Germany, and London, England. A co-founder of NVision, a nonprofit collective of Native American artists, musicians, community organizers, and nonprofit professionals focusing on Native American youth empowerment through multimedia arts, Echo-Hawk currently serves as its executive director. He defines himself as a “proactive ARTist” whose goal is to “truly exemplify the current state of Native America.” Echo-Hawk has dedicated his life to using his art as a means to advance the lives of Native American people. He has been invited to speak and give “live art performances” at Columbia University, Brown University, the University of Arizona, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California, Irvine. He has been featured in Native Peoples Magazine, Colorlines Magazine, and Native Voice. In addition, Echo-Hawk is a 2008 First Peoples Fund Business in Leadership Fellow and a United States Artist Fellow nominee. While at UND, Echo Hawk will conduct workshops for students and will produce a fine art print in the Department of Art and Design’s printmaking facilities. The April 15 presentation by the artist and other events related to his visit are co-sponsored by the Department of Art & Design and the Indian Studies Association. Major funding is provided by the Myers Foundations. For more information, contact Lucy Ganje, Department of Art & Design Lucy_Ganje@und.nodak.edu, 777-2670. -- Lucy Ganje, Associate Professor, Department of Art & Design, lucy_ganje@und.nodak.edu, 777-2670