Reiss paintings on display at Browning museum

An exhibit of Windold Reiss paintings of Blackfeet people is on display at the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning.

Reiss portraits of the Blackfeet people are almost universally recognized, most commonly through the use of the powerful calendar images in the international advertising campaign for the Great Northern Railway’s Empire Builder in the early 20th Century.

However, what is lesser-known, is that Winold Reiss established an art school that he operated near Glacier National Park for a few summers in the 1930s. While Reiss influenced Blackfeet artists in attendance, Reiss’ art and design practice was significantly impacted by his interactions with the Blackfeet people where he incorporated rich geometric patterns and war art. Many tribal members modeled for Reiss’ portraits during his visits to Blackfoot Territory in the 1920-40s and lifelong friendships were created.

Cheryle “Cookie” Cobell Zwang, a Glacier Conservancy board member and Blackfeet Nation tribal member, had the idea of bringing some of the iconic portraits to the reservation as a means to increase tourism, and to share a unique story that she believes cannot be told anywhere else in the world. The Blackfeet Business Council supported this collaboration.

“Many descendants of the people depicted in Reiss’ work, including myself, still live in Browning and surrounding communities,” said Councilman Tim Davis. “This seemed like a unique opportunity to bring to life the art and history of our people depicted in the portraits, and those who worked with Reiss at that time.”

Many of the original portraits done by Reiss are currently owned by BNSF Railway, the modern-day successor to the Great Northern, and the eight original paintings featured in this year’s exhibition entitled “Connections – the Blackfeet and Winold Reiss,” are on loan from BNSF through this summer.

“Making these paintings available to the public, here in Browning and the Museum of the Plains Indian is really significant,'' said Glacier Conservancy Executive Director, Doug Mitchell. “This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to explore Glacier’s complicated and sometimes fraught history, and to do so through the lens of the park’s first people whose living relatives give voice to the real stories of the people in Reiss’ work.”

“We’re very excited to bring this important exhibit to the public and the Blackfeet reservation,” said Renee Bear Medicine, Curator of the Museum of the Plains Indian. “Reiss learned from and impacted inspiring Blackfeet artists then and now. The portraits will be displayed along with personal artifacts belonging to the people in the portraits, and alongside the artworks of those he influenced. It is our hope to bring even more of Reiss’ original portraits to the Museum in the future.”

The show will run through Oct. 29. The Museum of the Plains Indian is located at 19 Museum Loop in Browning and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.