Truman Lowe Sculpture Dedication

media release: Join UW–Madison in partnership with the Ho-Chunk Nation for the dedication of a sculpture created by internationally acclaimed Ho-Chunk artist and UW–Madison alumnus and Professor Emeritus Truman Lowe. The sculpture was installed on campus in July, just north of Van Hise Hall.

Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., on the north lawn of Van Hise Hall. The sculpture is north of Van Hise Hall, on the southwest corner of North Charter Street and Observatory Drive. Map: goo.gl/maps/rSW2gfDVabs66SVF7

A public program will include remarks by:

• Clayton Winneshiek, Ho-Chunk Nation traditional chief 
• Jon Greendeer, Ho-Chunk Nation president
• Tonia Lowe, Truman Lowe’s daughter
• Patricia Marroquin Norby, associate curator of Native American art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Jennifer Mnookin, UW–Madison chancellor
• Carla Vigue, UW–Madison director of tribal relations  

The Wisconsin Dells Singers, featuring performers from the Ho-Chunk Nation, will also perform.

The aluminum sculpture, Effigy: Bird Form, was created by Truman Lowe in 1997 and showcased in a yearlong exhibition of 20^th century works at the White House Jacqueline Kennedy Garden in Washington, D.C. Lowe said the work, which features open air between the metal pieces, represents the loss of Indigenous burial mounds, but also celebrates the strength and vitality of Wisconsin Indigenous traditions.

“Being from the woodlands, I wanted my inspiration for this sculpture to come from a culture that inhabited this area and left its mark with earthen mounds -- a unique way of showing respect and living with the Earth," Lowe said of the work. "This is my attempt to pay my respects, to celebrate the longevity of our history and our traditions. We have endured and I know we will survive.”

In its new home at UW–Madison, the sculpture serves as an important symbol for the university’s Indigenous community, honors the Ho-Chunk Nation, and is a reminder that UW–Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land.

Due to the nature of this dedication and out of respect, there may be portions that we ask are not filmed or photographed, details will be provided once onsite.

More information and updated event details at go.wisc.edu/truman-lowe.

About Truman Lowe:

Truman Lowe (1944-2019), an alumnus and professor emeritus, was an internationally acclaimed sculptor. His works bridged the traditional and contemporary, abstract and representational worlds of Native American fine art and were deeply rooted in his Ho-Chunk heritage. His art has been exhibited at major venues throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Europe, Africa, South America and New Zealand.

Lowe was born Jan. 19, 1944, and grew up in a Ho-Chunk community near Black River Falls. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from UW-Madison in 1973. While on campus, Lowe studied sculpture, glassblowing, ceramics and more while developing his own artistic voice. He joined the School of Education’s Art Department in 1975, was promoted to full professor in 1989 and served as chair of the department from 1984-1995. From 1975 to 1988, Lowe was also the coordinator for the fledgling Native American Studies Program. Additionally, he served as chair of the Chancellor’s Scholarship Committee, where from 1984 to 2004 he recruited and supported underrepresented students interested in pursuing their education at UW–Madison.

In 2007, the Wisconsin Arts Board honored Lowe with its Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2008 he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association. From 2000 to 2008, he was the curator of contemporary art for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. His legacy continues after his passing in 2019 with many art museums across the nation acquiring his art for their permanent collections, and in 2022,  the Truman T. Lowe Center for the Arts was dedicated at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where Lowe earned his BS in art education.