“Flower Power” Artist: Del Curman Artwork Commissioned by AIFI

Del Curfman

Crow painter, Del Curfman, returns as the Official Festival Artist of the American Indian Film Festival, whose piece, “Flower Power,” is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Indians of all Tribes’ occupation of Alcatraz. Curfman will be available to sign AIFF posters and programs beginning October 26 at the Brava Theater.

Curfman graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Arts with an emphasis in painting and in Museum Studies in May 2017. Curfman utilizes Apsaalooke’ (Crow Nation of Montana) imagery and cultural exploration to investigate heritage, tradition, and humanity through his work in oil paints and community-based projects. 

VANISHING SERIES  The Vanishing Series is a response to the perception that Native American culture has or will “vanish.” This idea of disappearance has been a mainstream thought that has only been propagated by Edward Curtis, a photographer who in 1904 produced a collection of photographs titled “Vanishing Race.” My paintings utilize the notion of vanishing through a stark white background crossing over Native American figures as if the sands of time and space are impermanent to a permanent people. Tradition will not be lost. The Vanishing Series aims to belie this exact idea, my artwork has become a vessel of cultural sharing and knowledge.